


Digitised Angels

by BinaryAngel



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Chatting & Messaging, Don't vacation at ME HQ, Drug Addiction, Drugs, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Love Triangles, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Secret 01 Spoilers, Sexual Content, Smut, Spoilers, Torture, Unrequited Love, mystic messenger spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-08-28 10:03:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 51
Words: 133,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8441404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BinaryAngel/pseuds/BinaryAngel
Summary: Awakening in the game Mystic Messenger and called Angels by a cult, Morrigan and Maria find themselves in a dangerous situation. As time passes their desire to return home is forgotten, but Mint Eye's shadow still looms over them.





	1. Day 0 - Angelic Birth

**Author's Note:**

> This work of fanfiction was written during NaNoWriMo 2016.
> 
> Please forgive any errors.

 

      The room flashed with lights. White, green, black, red. Faster and faster the lights moved, blinding the white-robed figures that formed a semi-circle around the large silver capsules in the middle of the room. Electricity made hair stand on end and the onlookers watched in hushed, excited silence.

      Slowly, bit by bit, the lights condensed to take shape within the capsules. Human shapes took definition, forming fingers and toes. Eyelashes and noses. Hair and lips.

      There was a pop of electricity and everything went dark. The backup generator buzzed to light, bringing the room to life once more and the onlookers gasped.

      Two young woman, newly born and nude, blinked as they stared through the cloudy glass.

      A woman with gold embroidered robes stepped forward. Her voice was sweet, but no words made sense to the women whose eyes she held. She moved with grace, delicately moving past the people that parted in front of her. Her smile widened and she spoke again.

      Her words triggered a flurry of activity. She pressed something on a screen and the glass lids slid away. Cold air chilled the naked women, but robed figures rushed forward to cover their nudity. Others huddled around carts, busy preparing for the next step of their project.

      "Where are we?" One spoke only to be met with silence. She pushed away the hands touching her and sat up. "Who the hell are you people?"

      The woman's smile fell and her brows furrowed. She spoke again, but must have noticed her words were meaningless.

      Disappointed, she turned away and barked an order to the others around the carts. She left them behind, exiting the room.

      "Wait..." She swallowed and cast her eyes around the room in desperation. The room was large, but too small for the people that still remained. Everything was white, silver, or a soft green, and it vaguely resembled a hospital with the trays of medical weapon. In the middle of the room, next to her own bed, was another. "Morrigan!"

      The figure within stirred, slowly coming out of a daze. She sat up and brown eyes widened. "Maria! What are you doing here?" She bit her lip. "Get out of my dream."

      "Uh uh. This isn't your dream. It's mine. I hope." Maria ran her fingers through her brown hair and slapped away a hand that reached for her arm. "Don't touch me!"

      The theory that it was a dream was destroyed quickly. Robed figures surrounded them, cutting off their view of one another, and pinned them down. Straps cut off circulation in their hands and feet as they were bound to the table. Needles stung as they were jabbed into their flesh.

      They did not get a chance to speak again, nor were they spoken to by the men and women that poked and prodded at them. They were served meals served on silver trays marked with a green eye and watched as they ate. Blood was taken after every other meal.

      It was impossible to tell how long they stayed in the room. There was no way of telling time outside of meals in the strange hospital-like room and no one answered their questions in any language they knew, but bit by bit they were starting to understand the words spoke around them.

      Knowledge they had no right to know came in blips as they were handled by someone who spoke too roughly to be friendly. The balding man frowned when he looked at them and spoke in snide tones to his peers.

      "Yeong-su." Maria caught his eyes one day and spoke the name that had come to her. He paled and stumbled backwards. "Leave us alone."

      The robed figures rushed away and, for the first time since waking up in that strange room, Morrigan and Maria were left alone.

      "I think I know where we are." Morrigan left the side of her bed and made her way over to the wall of monitors that flashed with their information. "We're in Mint Eye headquarters."

      "That's impossible..." Yet at this point they believed in the impossible. "How?"

      "I don't know." She left the monitors and began digging through the shelves to find a brush. The cultists used to tend to their hair, but eventually gave that up as testing went on and she was more than eager to get the tangles out of her long, purple hair. "Better question is... How the fuck do we get out?"

      "I don't know." Echoing her friends earlier statement, Maria drew her knees to her chest and threw a worried look towards the door. "Did I mess up? Are they going to hurt us now?"

      "Maybe." A heavy sigh left her lips and she turned to face her, prize held in one hand. "I'm not going to lie. This is bad news bears. You haven't played enough to know just how fucked up Mint Eye gets."

      "So what do we do?"

      "We get out." She drew in a breath and began to comb out the tangles in her hair. "Bide our time, play along, and hope we can somehow convince them to let us out. Maybe..."

      "Maybe, what?" Maria looked up, noticing the pensive look on her friend's face. "What are you thinking?"

      "We know the game, right? Question is, what day is it?" Neither of them knew the answer to that so she pushed on regardless. "If Unknown hasn't sent the MC to the apartment, we can try taking her place. Convince them to send us instead of her."

      "That... that might work." The longer Maria thought about it, the more appealing the idea sounded. It would get them out from underneath Mint Eye's insane gaze and put them in the relative safety of Rika's apartment. Once there they could at least breath easily.

      "So we win them over." She nodded to herself and flung the brush aside. "Use our in-game knowledge. Use what we've been picking up by being here. This is a cult. We can take advantage of this."

      "I hope your right."

#

 

      No one came to bring them their meals. They knew they had missed one or two, because Morrigan, who generally lacked an appetite, had a grumbling stomach as well as Maria. It had been hours, the better part of a day since the followers had vacated the room and they wondered when they would see another.

They talked quietly, worried about the possible monitoring devices in the room, and quieted their stomachs with water from the sink. They had long since finalised their rough plans to gain their freedom from the cult's headquarters and had settled in to wait.

"I hear you're finally starting to awaken." The lyrical voice was familiar, reminding them of their first moments in this room. The owner of the room entered on silent feet, gliding across the floor with all the elegance the leader of the cult was expected to have. "Do you understand me now?"

      "Yes." Morrigan answered with a small bow of her head, using the opportunity to send Maria a warning look.

 _Do not react to seeing her._ She hoped that she understood the silent plea. Although Maria had been the one to see her clearest when they first woke up, she had not been in the state to actually register many details. Now she could and certainly the sight of the smiling woman came as a shock.

      "And you?" The Savior brushed her fingers over Maria's cheek and it was all she could do not to draw back. "Do you understand me?"

      "I do." She offered her a small smile.

      "You might be my Angels after all." A smile spread across her face, but did not reach her dull eyes. She stepped back and motioned someone forward. "There is still one final hurdle to overcome."

      "Can't accept us on faith alone?" The purple-haired woman's words were received with a frown from their captor. Quickly holding up her hands and planting on a beaming smile, she tried to undo the damage she had done. "I understand your desire to be absolutely certain. I am just eager to begin aiding Mint Eye."

      "Of course." The Savior's expression softened and she clasped her hands together over her heart. "And you shall, soon. First, one of you must pass a test."

      The face that stepped forward was familiar. Mint eyes. Pastel pink tipped white hair. Black ink forming the shape an the eye, Mint Eye's logo, covering his shoulder.

      "We'll take her." He motioned towards Morrigan with a crooked smile on his face. His eyes moved over her, drinking in the pale skin not covered by her robe. "We only need one, after all. If this one breaks, we can always test the second."

      "You won't need to." Morrigan swallowed the rising fear and stood. She left Maria's side and approached Unknown. "No test you have can break an Angel."

      "We'll see about that." Although he was smiling his words came out with a hiss of irritation. He reached for her, running his fingers along her jawbone and down to where her pulse thumped in her throat. "Maybe you our our Angel, maybe not, but your body is still human, isn't it?"

      "Can we get this over with?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I can't help Mint Eye if all we do is babble."

"So impatient, Angel." He leaned in, close enough for her to feel his breath on her face. "It's okay. I'm impatient too. Your pale skin will look so beautiful littered with bruises."

            She was led away, leaving Maria alone with the Savior and half of the followers that stayed behind with her. None of the robed figures were the same ones who initially poked and prodded them and she wondered what happened to them.

      "While the other is facing your trial, I'd like to speak with you." Although the words were spoken sweetly, they left no room for denial. She floated over and stood in front of Maria with that same blank smile she typically wore. "I'd like to discuss how you can help me bring Paradise."

      "Sure. I have a few ideas for that myself." Maria drew on her inner strength and met her eyes. "Starting with the RFA."

 


	2. Day 0 - Chartreuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some torture and forced drug use in here along with some minor dub-con touches. 
> 
> Also if you have trypanophobia, this chapter might cause some issues - especially after the switch back to Morrigan. 
> 
> Sorry!

      The hallways that Unknown and other cultists lead Morrigan through were bright and creamy, marked with delicate golden filigree curling around mint-colour eyes. The eyes felt like they followed her through the twisting halls, mocking her inability to tell one from another.

      There was no way she could make it back to Maria without an escort. Perhaps that was the point. The path seemed overly long. Down hallways that all looked the same. Up a set of stairs marked with the logo of the cult. Down a set of stairs marked with the same logo.

      How big was this place? The question made her heart sink. If their plan had somehow failed, there would be no way for them to find their way out.

      A door opened up and two of the posse was left behind to stand guard. The room they entered was dim and in the middle was a plush chair that would have been comfortable if it were not for the leather straps attached to it. The sight of the chair made her stumble, her heart thumping faster in fear.

      A chair like that could be considered fun, but not when at the mercy of a bunch of insane cultists.

      "Nervous, Angel?" Unknown's voice was mocking as she was strapped into the chair. Wrists, ankles, waist. There was no getting out of this now and he seemed to be pleased with the sight of her in such a vulnerable position. "Relax. It only hurts... a lot."

      The other cultists stepped away, disappearing into the dimmer parts of the room. The might have left, but Morrigan was not sure if that was a good thing. Being alone with Unknown, who had a sadistic gleam in his eyes, seemed pretty unappealing at the moment.

      "I'll be fine." She put a smile on her face and leaned her head back against the chair. "Let's get this over with."

      "Mmm. Brave. I can appreciate that." He moved out of her sight and she could hear him arranging something behind her. It clinked like metal and she sucked in a breath, imagining the worst.

      He returned to her view with a needle filled with a disgusting yellow-green fluid. The hacker took a moment to clean her inner elbow before jabbing the needle in and hitting the plunger as if he had done this exact task a million times before.

      Morrigan's veins froze and she whimpered as it spread up her arm. The drugs moved quickly through her body, spreading the icy burn to every inch of her until her eyes filled with tears and every breath of air made the pain nearly overwhelming.

      "I always wondered what Angels sounded like when they scream." Unknown hummed thoughtfully to himself. His touch came a moment later, trailing over her face. Although he barely graved her with his fingertips, her nerves jumped to life and agony flared through her. When she did not scream his fingers trailed lower, brushing against her neck and making her shudder away from him.

      "Don't." Morrigan's voice shook with the effort to keep from groaning in pain. "Don't touch me."

      "Ahhh, so bossy." He proved he had no intentions of listening to her. His fingers found her neck again, sliding behind her head and curl up in her hair. "Don't take it personal. We all must scream at first. Push our bodies to the limits before we can truly dedicate our souls to Mint Eye's Everlasting Party."

      "Is that what she told you?" Morrigan tried not to move. She could feel his hand in her hair, close enough to make her skull sizzle with pain. Her vision blurred for a moment but she blinked to clear it and focused on his face. "When they 'tested' you?"

      "I was told you'd peer into me." Unknown scoffed and shifted, ever so slightly, to tug on her hair. She yelped in response. "It's an honour to be the one conducting your testing. I'll take pleasure in tearing down your mortal body and revealing your soul."

      "Are you truly happy here?" She already knew the answer. She had played the game and knew his story, but she wanted to hear his response. "Is this paradise to you?"

      "Of course." Cold fire blazed through her as he tightened his hold on her hair. He smiled, but it was strained.

      "Lair." She breathed through the pain. "You're a liar, Saeran."

      Agony shot through her body as he roughly pulled her hair, forcing her head to the side. His mouth came down against her neck, hot contrasting with the cold, and his teeth sunk into her flesh. She screamed, shrill and loud, and her tears burned down her cheeks.

      He released her just as suddenly as he had assaulted her, standing back and wiping the taste of her from his mouth. His mint eyes were half-lidded and dark with something she had no way of translating.

      "So that's an angel's scream. Hm. Not what I expected it to be." He left her in the aftershocks of pain to collect another needle which he set on a table nearby, just in her peripheral vision. In his other hand was a remote control. "It's not so bad though. Which is good, because I'll be hearing a lot of it from now on."

      His long, slender fingers moved over the remote lazily as he peered at her. A slow smile spread over his face as mint met brown. She was an excellent addition to Mint Eye, if she survived what was still yet to come. He pressed a button.

      "The world is a painful place." Something within the plush of the chair moved against her spine, jabbing her and knocking another scream from her throat. She could barely hear the Savior's voice coming through speakers in the headrest. "Pain caused by humanity. Pain caused by foolish desires."

      "Pain caused by evil chairs and nasty drugs." Morrigan tasted blood and wondered if she had bitten her cheek.

      "There is love here." The chair did not jab her as the Savior's sweet voice cooed in her ear. "There is the Everlasting Party here where everyone is happy and free."

      "The outside world will only bring you pain." The chair pounded each word into her spine. "Lost souls will keep on suffering."

      "I can free you." Her voice continued to coo in Morrigan's ear. The chair rested and she was able to catch her breath again. "I can cleanse your soul of the filth. I can bring you into our happy, loving family."

      "If it's this bad for me..." Morrigan's throat ached. Had she already screamed herself hoarse? It was getting harder to focus on Saeran's face. "I can't imagine how you must have suffered. You poor dear. You didn't deserve that kind of pain."

      "Are you trying to sympathise with me?" His voice sounded so far and dripped with suspicion. "Trying to play me for a fool so I'll let you out? Cute. You're so cute."

      He tapped a button on the remote and the chair punched the air right out of her. Her mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out.

      The agony came in faster turns, followed by the blessed relief for a few fleeting moments where the Savior's voice promised relief. Again and again, it was drilled into her spine, shoulders, legs, and arms. Pain, relief. Outside world, Paradise. Over and over until there were no sounds left in her and no tears remaining. Her vision was black, the only thing she could see was his mint eyes which appeared to glow.

      "Do you wish for the pain to end?" Morrigan was not sure who asked the question, but she sobbed her answer. Every nerve was shot, radiating with pain. "What was that? Speak clearer."

      "Yes..." She swallowed blood and it flowed like lava all the way down. "Saeran, please."

      "I'll give you a taste." Something touched her lips and she jerked away from the agony that rose up. He gripped her chin, forcing her head still and tipped cold into her mouth. It splattered down her chin, soaking her shirt, and she swallowed a mouthful. "A taste of the paradise of Mint Eye."

      The switch was almost instantaneous. As soon as the liquid hit her stomach it, a comfortable warmth spread through her body, thawing out her veins until she felt nothing at all. Quiet relief with the echos of Saeran and the Savior's voice, promising her an everlasting party.

      Her eyes rolled up and her body sagged as she fell into darkness.

#

      It was hard to talk to the Savior. The woman's eyes were hauntingly empty and the smile made Maria cold any time she looked at it. The only time her expression changed was when a pain sliced through Maria, making her stiffen or bite back a whimper.

      "We know you plan on sending a woman to the apartment." She swallowed the phantom pain and pressed on. "You'll have her unknowingly join the RFA, win their favour, and use that to further your plans."

      The Saviour hummed softly in reply.

      "Morrigan and I know things no other could know." Maria sat up a little bit straighter and forced herself to maintain eye contact with the insane and likely volatile woman in front of her. "We know Mint Eye. We know the RFA. We know what to say to win them over and gain their trust."

      The Saviour seemed to consider that before nodding slowly.

      "We're Mint Eye's Angels." She let out a breath air as the pain eased for a moment. "There's no one better equipped to make the plan a success."

      "We scoured the city for someone suitable," The Saviour spoke finally. "Are you implying we failed in finding a proper candidate?"

      "I'm not knocking your searches. I'm sure she's great." Maria swallowed nervously and resisted the urge to fidget beneath the other woman's unwavering attention. "But she's a variable, right? You don't know for sure how she will respond or if she would work out."

      "Do you?"

      Pain stabbed through her and Maria's hand slapped to her neck, cradling the unmarked flesh against the invisible teeth that tore it. It was getting harder to breath, harder to focus on the tense conversation. What was happening to her?

      "My Angel?"

      "I'm fine." She took a deep breath and let it out, powering through the pain. Now was not the time to break down. Morrigan was suffering through whatever sadistic test and Maria was damn sure not about to let that be in vain. Focusing on the game and the routes she knew, along with Morrigan's teasing non-spoilers, she thought her next words out carefully. "The girl you chose... Her path has a lot of variations - most of them end with failure."

      "Are you certain?"

      "Positive." Maria nodded. "But if you send us, you won't have to worry about those variations, those failures. It's in Mint Eye's best interest to send us."

      "I will consider this." The Saviour stood and dusted off her perfectly clean robes. She tilted her chin towards Maria slightly in farewell before turning and gliding out of her room with her entourage in tow.

      A gust of air left Maria's lungs as soon as the door was closed and she sunk down to the floor. Leaning her head back against her bed, she hoped she would never have to face an ordeal like that again.

      "Morrigan, I think I did it." Although she knew her friend could not hear, she felt better pretending she could. "Stay strong. Whatever they're doing to you... Don't let them beat you. We're almost there."

#

      Morrigan's eyes fluttered open to see Saeran's thoughtful face. There was a dull feeling of discomfort in her neck from where he had bit it before and from how her head and fallen onto her shoulder, but that faded slightly as she straightened.

      "Ah, she awakens." Saeran glanced up from the laptop he had been staring at. "Feeling any pain?"

      "No." Her throat felt dry and she tried to wipe her mouth to make sure she had not drooled while unconscious, but remembered she was bound when she felt the resistance. "I am pretty uncomfortable though."

      "No surprise there." He closed his laptop and stood, stretching in a way that made Morrigan envious. How long had she been strapped to this chair? Stretching seemed like a luxury she would kill for right about now. "Ready for the test to continue?"

      "Oh, it's not over." Of course it was not over. She sighed and nodded resolutely. It was not like she could just say no, go home, and forget this ever happened. "Ready as I'll ever be."

      "You're going to have to hold very still for this one." He collected the needle he had set aside earlier and tapped it to ensure there was no air in it. "Don't worry. I have very steady hands."

      His hand was warm against her chin as he held her straight and towered over her. She swallowed nervously, her eyes on the needle in his other hand as her frazzled mind began connecting the thoughts. She flinched when he brought the needle closer to her face, turning away and squeezing her eyes shut.

      "Oh no, we can't have that." Saeran tightened her hold on her and turned her head again. "Since when did you have a problem with needles, Angel?"

      "Since the damned thing's going to be jabbed in my eye." She spat out at him. "I don't do the needle in the eye thing, toots. Torture me some other way. That shit's a no fly zone."

      "You don't exactly get a say in this."

      "How is this even a test?" She shot back. "Seriously. What's the point of this crap?"

      "This is the test the Savior chose for you. Almost the same test given to the lost souls that come to join our party." His hand left her chin. "Open your eyes."

      "Bite me."

      "Already did." She could practically hear the grin. "Maybe I'll do it again later. Open your eyes, Angel, or I'll give you some more bruises for your pretty skin."

      His hand returned to her chin, but instead of holding her in place, it trailed over the mark he had left on her neck. She could not see it, but it had already marred her skin with deepening purple and red. Dried blood marked the spots where his teeth hand broken flesh and he took a little extra pleasure in running his fingers over that spot.

      "So cute."

      "Okay, this needs to stop." Morrigan cracked open one eye to see his face was close to hers, but his eyes were fixated on her neck. "This kind of flirting usually involves safe words, you know."

      His pale cheeks blazed with colour and his eyes widened as they turned towards her. Seeing her peeking at him, his expression of surprised turned to embarrassed anger and he jerked away from her.

      Worth it.

      "My safe word is Chartreuse." She joked as she continued watching him. "Chartreuse. Now unbind me and let me go back to my room."

      "Angels are so peculiar. You almost talk like an outsider." He closed his eyes, rotating his shoulders and easing the tension her strangely timed flirting had given him. When he opened his eyes again, he felt much better. "Open your eyes."

      "That again?" She huffed. "It's getting pretty old. I think you-"

      A gasp left her and her eyes shot open as a hand suddenly closed forcefully over her breast. The needle slid in and out of her eye before she even registered what exactly he had done.

      It had not hurt one bit, but terror seized her and sent her heart thumping hard in her chest. She could not suck in enough air fast enough, sucking in air as fast as she was letting it out as she pressed back against the chair in terror that he would do it again.

      "Hey, hey, it's okay." Saeran set the needle back onto the table with an audible thump before showing her that his hands were empty. "Breathe. It's over. I'm done with that one."

      "You fucking stabbed me! In the eye!" She gasped between desperate inhalations. "Don't tell me it's okay. What did my eye ever do to you!"

      "It's just the next phase of the test." He patted her on the shoulder in an act of attempted comfort that would be laughable if Morrigan were any less freaked out.

      "Ahh, gee, that makes me feel better." Morrigan glared at him and he shrank back under the intensity of it. "Fuck you, jerky-mac-jerkface."

      "Seriously?" His eyes hardened and his hand slid to her arm, digging his nails into her shoulder. "I try being nice and you practically spit in my face? How in the hell are you supposed to be our Angel?"

      "I am what I am." Her anger wilted beneath the fury blazing in his mint eyes and she shrunk back against the chair. "Saeran, I'm sorry, okay? The eye thing just freaked me out."

      "Stop calling me that!" His words were like a physical slap that had her shrinking further into the blush cushion behind her. The kindness he had shown her before was gone. He stomped out of sight only to return with a second needle matching the discarded one. "Shut up, open your eyes, and let me get the other one or I'll just stab it through your eyelid."

      Morrigan opened her eyes wide and froze, terrified of the damage he might do if he were to jab her with the needle without being able to see clearly where he was aiming. She somehow managed not to flinch as it came closer. He took his time and she suffered, struggling with her terror and knowing she could not move until the needle was free of her eye.

      Once done she closed her eyes and her body began to tremble. The pain she had endured before was horrible, but this was what made her feel completely helpless. She heard the clunk of the needle falling onto the table and the swish of liquid in a bottle.

      Lips touched hers, surprisingly soft after the sharpness of his anger. Despite herself, she leaned into it, her lips moving against his. He pulled away and came back more forcefully, making her gasp. A chalky liquid filled her mouth, forcing her to swallow or choke. He pulled away and laughed.

      "Phase two can begin." He flicked her forehead and left her to go tap on another door in the room.

      "Love. Peace. Pleasure. Mint Eye." The Savior's voice whispered softly in her ears. Her eyes started to feel warm as she listened, but the rest of her body was melting into a puddle. "The everlasting party. Free from pain. Free from distress."

      The words bled into a comforting hum that cradled her in a pleasant warmth. Her eyes ached and burned, but everything else felt so nice.

      "Still with us, Angel?"

      "Saeran." She drew out the vowels in his name and opened her eyes to find him. She wanted to reach out to him, to touch him, but her body did not move. "I feel so nice."

      "I'm sure." He moved closer, his fingers finding her chin and a blush covering his cheeks at the low hum of drugged pleasure leaving her lips. He swallowed thickly before forcing his attention to her eyes. "The eyes of the Beloved. They look good on you."

      "Thanks." She leaned into his touch, nuzzling her cheek against his palm. Morrigan had no idea what he was talking about, but she did not care. She was in Paradise. She had no worries here.

      "Are you ready to be marked?"

      "Sure." She nodded slowly and smiled. It sounded nice, whatever it was. Marked by what? By Paradise? By the man who made her feel so nice? By the Savior who made this happen?

      He left her again, returning with a metal rod, ending in the glowing hot logo of the cult. His hand returned to her chin, gliding along her cheek and to her hair, pulling her in for a kiss. Pleasure coiled through her body and she groaned along with him when their tongues met.

      Then the metal seared her flesh, the pain cutting through the dull haze of the drugs. She screamed and her throat protested as her robes burned and the mark was pressed into her hip. She screamed and the drugs swam back into her system, mingling with the pain until she was sobbing for it to end or for more.

      "Excellent job, my cute Angel." Saeran praised her as he wiped tears from her face. "The Savior will be pleased."

#

      "Morrigan, are you back with me?" Maria's face was even darker in the low lights as she leaned over her. She wore a worried frown that deepened when the purple-haired woman groaned and rolled over, pulling her pillow over her head. "Get up. We need to talk."

      "Ten more minutes." She held up a hand and waved her away. "I'm tired."

      "Bullshit. You've been sleeping for pretty much forever." She yanked the pillow away and whacked her in the face with it. "Stop sleeping. You've been leaving me alone with these crazies and I'm losing my mind."

      "Doesn't take much..." Morrigan slapped the pillow away and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What's the big deal?"

      "Oh, I'm finally getting some actual sentences after you." Maria flicked her on the forehead, hard. "Listen up. They brought you back from the test weeks ago. At least, I think it was weeks. I don't know."

      "What?" Dumbfounded, the half-awake woman could only blink at her friend.

      "What'd they do to you?" Concern filled her eyes and she touched Morrigan's hand. "Do you remember?"

      "I... I remember some of it." She pressed a palm to her eye, remembering the needle. "Not all of it, I think."

      "I think I felt it." Maria swallowed thickly as her eyes drifted to the mark that was already yellow and green on her friend's neck. "I didn't know what it was, but I felt that bite. I felt your pain and... Did they brand you or something? I kind of blacked out after that."

      "I don't know..." Frowning against the hazy memories she looked down at herself, not quite feeling like she was connected to her body. After a moment she scooted up on the bed, tugging her sleeprobes up to reveal part of the brand seared into her hip. It too was already well onto its way towards being healed. "Yeah. What the fuck."

      "Right, well, whatever happened convinced them." She pulled away and stood, offering her hand to Morrigan. "Your eyes changing probably helped too."

      "My eyes?" She blinked, vaguely remembering Saeran saying something about 'Beloved' in regards to her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

      "They're not brown anymore."

      "They're not?"

      "No. They're mint." She pointed towards the logo emblazoned on the wall between their beds. "Like the logo."

      "Freaky-deaky." Morrigan shook her head to clear the cobwebs. "Did you talk to them about the RFA?"

      "Yeah, we're good to go." Her expression brightened. "They said we can leave as soon as you're ready. They already have our background and social media stuff set up so we should get past Seven's check without any trouble."

      "Great, something to look forward to." Morrigan stood on wobbily legs, running her fingers through her hair only to catch a tangle. "Ugh, my kingdom for a brush."

      "Wardrobe. Get dressed. We're leaving here first thing in the morning."

      "What time is it now?"

      "Don't even ask. I haven't seen a clock in so long I don't even remember what they look like." Maria's stomach growled and the pair smiled at one another. "But I'm thinking it's close to breakfast."

 


	3. Day 1 - Play Along

 

      Step one to relative freedom - be rushed through a small breakfast and led to a black SUV.

Maria and Morrigan barely had time to choke down some eggs, toast, and scald their mouths with tea before they were ushered out of their rooms and through the headquarters. A buzz of excited whispers followed them as they moved past cultists and it took all their willpower not to cringe at the gushing, worshipful tones.

      Apparently word of the Angels had spread.

      They were led out a side door and into a garage filled with a variety of average looking vehicles. Figures that the cult would be smart enough to not paint their logo all over their cars.

      "Oi, took you long enough." Saeran glared at the group that approached, arms crossed over his chest. "I thought we had a schedule here."

      "The Angels were hungry," One of the robed figures with a low, masculine voice replied as he motioned Maria and Morrigan forward. "As important as the schedule is, we were instructed to not mistreat them in any way."

      "Nah. They wouldn't have minded." He caught Morrigan's eye and gave her a wolfish grin. "Well, one of them wouldn't have minded a bit of mistreatment."

      "Don't push me, boo." She hip checked him out of the way, wincing at the flush of pain at the abuse of her still-healing brand. "Remember, Angel. I know all your little secrets."

      "Right. Let's get this show on the road." Maria rushed forward and hopped into the car. As soon as Morrigan slid into the seat beside her, she yanked the purple-haired woman close and hissed at her. "And stop flirting with the crazy person!"

      "I'm not!" But she kind of was. Morrigan bit the inside of her cheek and glanced towards the window. Through the tinted glass she could see Saeran talking with some of the other cultists. "To be fair, he is pretty hot."

      "Crazy." Maria replied. "Cra-zy."

      "Okay, okay, so he's a little coo-coo-ca-choo, but deep down he's actually a good person. Beneath all of that crazysauce. Way, waaaay deep down." Turning away from the window she rubbed her hands over her eyes. Maria did not know Saeran's backstory since she had not gotten that far into the game yet so explaining all that was moot at this point. "Can we just blame it on the drugs and let it go?"

      "Fine, just keep your hormones in check." She leaned back in her seat with a huff. "You wanna get laid then wait until we get home where you can get some flesh and blood naked time."

      Step two to relative freedom - Suffer through and awkward ride with a cultist about as boring as a stump and an unstable hacker who alternated between flirting with Morrigan and snidely insulting her. Then get a breath of fresh air and a feeling of hope that is only dashed when they switched to a new vehicle to continue their trip out of the woods and into the city.

      By this point Morrigan and Maria had given up trying to memorise the lay of the land, just for something to do. They sat in the backseat, watching scenery rushing by and wishing they could at least turn on some music, but Mr Boring Stump preferred not to have music on.

      He claimed it distracted him.

      Eventually they arrived in the city and slowed to a stop a block away from a modest apartment complex. Saeran turned to face them, fishing a keychain out of his pocket and handing it over.

      The keychain had a heart with wings. Funny.

      "You're in apartment 2B." He nodded towards the complex. "Go in. Familiarise yourself with the place. Wait for my message."

      "Easy peasy." Morrigan pocketed the keychain. "Anything else, o'kinky one?"

      "Get out." Saeran's cheeks were pink as he jerked around in his seat, ending the conversation. The girls waited a moment longer to see if he had anything else to add before opening the car doors and exiting the vehicle.

      Step four to relative freedom - try not to happy dance after leaving car and pretend as if they were not completely weirded out by the apartment leased out to M. Chaikin, adopted daughters and only children of the deceased William and Lillian Chaikin.

      The apartment was fairly decent, speaking of the wealth they must have inherited from their the deaths of their 'parents.' Two bedroom, two baths, and a decent size living room and kitchen. It was even stocked with food, which was strange since they were not expected to stay in the apartment for very long.

      Within the closets and drawers of bedrooms was enough clothing to last them a while without having to wash anything - all fitted to their measurements and in the style they liked. Maria explained that while Morrigan was in her post-test stupor, she worked with some of the cultists to fill out profiles for the both of them and a portion of it included fashion.

      "Well, at least one good thing came out of being Angels, right?" Morrigan's voice was muffled from within the closet as she shifted through the options.

      "Yeah, well, I don't like it." Maria sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed heavily. "I just want to-"

      "Hurry up and bring Paradise to the lost souls." Morrigan's purple head popped out of the closet, one finger on her lips. She tilted her head, tapping her ear. They never knew what kind of bugs the apartment might have.

      "Have you seen the family photos yet?"

      "We have family photos?"

      "Well, yeah." Maria slid off the edge of the bed and crossed over to a bulletin board. "Mostly of us and our 'parents'. A few of us and friends. Oh look, there's is in high school. And one from prom!"

      "Whoa, they really went all out with this, didn't they?" Abandoning the clothes in favour of checking out the photographs, Morrigan joined her sister. "How'd they even get so many pictures of me?"

      "Heck if I know." Maria turned away from the pictures with a shudder. Something about looking at herself in them disturbed her greatly. They looked too real. Like pictures she might really have from home of her own friends and family.

      "How about we go make lunch while we're waiting." Morrigan suggested half-heartedly, her eyes fixated on a 'selfie' of herself. It looked just like her, but the eyes were all wrong. Or right, she supposed, since that was her eye colour now.

      "Sounds good." The two wandered into the kitchen and dug through the cabinets to find something to make, eventually settling on sandwiches due to a mutual lack of appetite. Maria due to nerves and Morrigan due to her typical lacklustre appetite combined with a queasiness leftover from the drugs.

      They ate their sandwiches in silence and then cleaned up the small mess they had made, mostly out of habit rather than a desire to keep the apartment clean.

      Afterwards Morrigan sunk back down into her chair at the breakfast bar and laid her head down on the cool marble. She closed her eyes, hoping the cold stone would help ease the heat that was starting to rise up and turn her stomach.

      "You okay?" Maria's voice sounded uncharacteristically grating and her 'sister' winced. "Morri?"

      "Suddenly I know what a hangover feels like." She groaned into the bar top. "Can you get me something to drink? Think they have any ginger ale?"

      "I'll look." Worry made Maria hurry to the fridge and shuffle through the contents. Fruit juice, vegetable juice, yogurt drinks, soda. In the back of the fridge she found a lavender sports bottle with Morrigan's name on it. "They left you something in here."

      "What?" Morrigan lifted her head and reached for the bottle. She opened it and peered inside to see a cloudy liquid that hardly looked appetising. "Why would they..."

      The light stink of medicine hit her nose and she mulled over her chances of survival for a minute before taking a sip. As soon as it hit her tongue she knew what it was. It what what Saeran had given her at the end of the first phase of testing. The taste of paradise that had soothed her suffering and gave her pleasant numbness.

      "Are you sure that stuff's safe?"

      "Nope. I'm sure it's the opposite of safe..." She took another drink, a mouthful this time, before sealing it up. "But I think I'll need it for a little while."

      Before Maria could respond the electronic chirping of a mobile phone cut through the air. Putting a finger up in the air, she turned on her heel and followed the sound back into the room set up as hers. On the nightstand was a phone, screen lit up revealing a familiar message from a stranger they knew.

      Step five to relative freedom - start playing the game.

#

      With the help of GPS on Morrigan's phone, the pair made their way through the unfamiliar streets towards Rika's apartment. Neither felt up to talking, paranoid that someone from Mint Eye might still be watching, they walked in silence - broken only by a strange revelation.

      "The signs." Maria nudged her friend and pointed to a storefront they were passing. The unfamiliar Korean was morphing into English. "You see that too?"

      "Yeah, I do." She shifted her purse higher up n her shoulder and frowned. "Like when we started understanding the others back there. I guess everything is translating itself for us. Freaky-deaky, but pretty convenient."

      They marvelled at the signs for a moment longer before continuing their trek. The walk was a modest one, taking them about ten minutes to get from their apartment complex to Rika's, but confusion with the GPS and shifting language slowed them down. By the time they made it to the floor the apartment was on, they were ready to sit down and relax for a while.

      "Mess with him." Morrigan motioned towards the lock. "Just a little bit. He has it coming."

      "Okay." Marie's fingers tapped away at the screen, playing as if they did not see the passcode lock on the door for a few messages before playing it off as a joke. If Seven were to somehow retrieve the conversation, it would make them look more legitimate.

      Once inside, with the door locked behind them, and their screen morphing into the RFA chatroom, they heaved a sigh of relief. Mint Eye could not afford to be found to so quick and they were certain Saeran had closed off the connection between himself and their phones.

      "So, what now?"

      "We play along." Morrigan sunk down onto the couch and pulled her phone out of her purse, quickly typing in a greeting to the group chat that was already underway. "We play along until we figure out a way home."

      "Do you think that's the answer?" Maria pulled out her own phone, watching the chat speed by. "Finish a route?"

      "It's the only idea I've got."

      "I guess it's better than nothing." Maria frowned as they asked how they got the app. She typed in something about just wanting to play a game before looking up at Morrigan. "If finishing the route is all it takes, we could've ended it already."

      "You're talking about the prologue’s bad ending?" Morrigan's brow furrowed and she reached for her purse, pulling out the sports bottle and sipping the drugged liquid. "Too risky. What if it doesn't end?"

      "We might have to take that risk, so let's not rule it out."

      The women turned their attention back to the chat to finish out the discussion. Every message seemed to be the exact same as the prologue chat they had played numerous times and they tapped in their answers without paying too much attention. They agreed to join the RFA and help them host a party and then closed the app for the time being.

      "I wonder if the place really is stocked." Marie slid her mobile phone into her pocket and moved towards the darkened hallway, hesitating in the threshold. "Um, Morri, can you come with me? This place is creepy."

      "You could always stay in the cozy little apartment Mint Eye set up for us." She twisted around on the sofa to grin at Maria. "What with all the photos of our lives. The hidden cameras and microphones that are probably nestled into every nook and cranny."

      "Okay, okay. I'll take creepy dead lady's house over that psycho nest any day of the week." Glancing into the hallway, she still hesitated. "Please come with me."

      "Fine, fine. I'll protect you from the spooky ghost that totally isn't a think." She rolled off of the sofa and leaned around her, flicking on the light switch she spotted in the shadows along the wall.

      "Haha, very funny. Thank you though." She rushed ahead, peering into the rooms and slapping the lights on.

      "You're welcome." Morrigan followed her into the hallway, pausing to look around. Something small caught her attention in the corner of the hallway, angled to keep as much of the apartment in view as possible.

      She smiled and waved at the camera before turning and following Maria through the apartment.

      It was a nice enough place, though a bit stale from having been left devoid of life for so long. One bedroom, one bath. Clean linens, towels, and unused toiletries. Turning their attention to the kitchen, they found pots, pans, utensils, and some non-perishable food and water.

      "Guess we'll have to do some food shopping. This won't work..." Maria swung the fridge shut with a sigh. "I guess I'll go find a job."

      "Or we could use the credit cards they gave us. Make them eat the bill..." Morrigan held up her hands at the disgruntled glare she received. "Fine, get a job. Maybe there's something hiring near SKY University."

      Maria's cheeks darkened and she made a soft, squeaking noise of embarrassment as she nodded.

      "Maybe. I might even see Yoosung."

      "Maybe!" A grin spread across Morrigan's face and she poked her friend's cheeks. "That blush looks good on you, caramel. I think Yoosung would want to eat you allll up."

      "Shut up."

      "Never!"

      The bouncing beat of Korean pop rang from Maria's back pocket and the pair gave each other surprised look.

      "Who could..." She reached into her back pocket and pulled it out, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. "It's Yoosung!"

      "Answer it!"

      "Fine, fine! Um... Hello?" Maria thought she might die of embarrassment and was grateful no one could see her imitation of a tomato.

      "Hey, Maria right? This is Yoosung, with the black star in the chat?!" The blonde's chipper voice came through crystal clear. "Do you remember me?"

      "Blonde, gamer, really sweet." Maria nodded. "Yeah, h-hey."

      "Aha, it's so nice to hear your voice! You sound really cute!" He laughed nervously before continuing. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. Seven added you and your sister's numbers into the contact list and I thought I'd be the first to say hello! Did I succeed?"

      "Y-yeah, you did."

      "Cool!" He cheered and Maria could not help but smile. He really was too cute. "I really hope you and Morrigan feel welcome. The others may seem a bit weird, but they're all good people! Oh! A rare monster just showed up... I'll talk to you again later, right?"

      "That'd be great. Thanks, Yoosung. It was really nice talking to you."

      "You too! Take care!"

      Maria's face was red as she slipped her phone back into the pocket. Even though she knew it was a game and that Yoosung was not real, talking to him sent her heart into a dizzying, thumping fit.

      "Awww, he wikes you." Morrigan made kissy faces and jumped back with a laugh as she swatted at her. "Hey! Not my fault if you've got a fangirlly crush."

      "Shut up, you'd act the same way if it was Seven."

      "I would not!" Yet the blush rising to Morrigan's cheeks claimed otherwise.

      "Prove it! I dare you!"

      "Fine, I'll call him right now." She stomped towards the living room and grabbed her phone from where it had been abandoned. It only took a moment to find Seven's name and picture in the short contact list and soon it was ringing.

      "Meow~!" Morrigan piped up as soon as she heard the ringing end and the click that meant someone picked up. "Hello, this is Neferkitty from the Puuuurrrfectly Friendly Feline Femme Fatales."

      "Ahh, if it isn't my favourite kitty!" Seven seemed perfectly content to play along. "With a voice straight out of my dreams!"

      "I'm calling to thank you for our purrrrfect patronage of our establishment." She meowed again into the phone, trying to pretend that she was not blushing and smiling like a schoolgirl with a crush. "You’re our best customer, meowster!"

      "Only for you, my precious kitty!"

      She squeaked. Powers above help her, but she squeaked and buried her face in her freehand. Having heard her embarrassed noise, Seven laughed.

      "Morrigan, right? I had a feeling you were a fun one." She could practically hear the smile in his voice.

      "Oh yeah, that's me. A real riot." She let go a lungful of air and lowered her hand. "I just wanted to try calling one of you and having a laugh, and you're the one I thought of."

      "Oh, my heart! It skipped a beat." He gushed. "I feel so special!"

      "You should!"

      "I do, I do." There was a sound and she could hear him sigh. "Alas, my darling and cute Neferkitty, I must bid you adieu. Work calls. We'll talk later! Byebye! Meow!"

      Morrigan lowered her phone to see Maria beaming in glee, phone in hand and flash shining away as she took pictures of her embarrassed friend's red face.

      "He slayed you!" Maria held up her phone and cheered. "And I have proof! Photographic evidence!"

      Photographic evidence. Her face blazed even hotter as she sent a glance into the hallway, clearly seeing the security camera she had spotted earlier. Seven might have watched her blushing face the entire time.

      She sunk down into the cushions with a groan. She was so embarrassed she thought she might die.

      "Let's go." Maria nudged her with her foot. "We have shopping to do."

      "And you have a job to get..." Morrigan's voice was muffled by the cushion. "So you can stalk your gamer boy."

      The next nudge was not nearly as gentle.


	4. Day 2 - Sister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the formatting issues with the little chatlogs. Still toying with them and they aren't spacing correctly.

       Morrigan could not sleep. The moment her body was claimed by Morpheus was the same moment the pain came back with vivid clarity. She woke up in tears, legs tangled around the blanket and face pressed against the couch to smother her screams.

       Her bones rattled in her skin and her head throbbed with pain that made her see colours. She forced herself upright with a groan, blinking away the spots and reaching blindly for the bottle she had left on the end table. Her fingers closed around plastic and she pulled it close, sucking the medicine down in desperation.

       The numbness spread through her, quieting the riot in her bones, and she closed the bottle and let it slip from her fingers. The ache that had pounded through her faded away, but horror still waited behind her eyelids to claw at the peace the drug granted her.

       She reached down, pawing at the blanket for a moment before making her fingers close down over it and drag it up and over her lap. She settled in a warm ball and opened up the RFA app, hoping that someone was still awake to help her pass the

 

> **Jaehee:** And to top it off, this paperwork has to be ready, first thing in the morning.
> 
> **Morrigan has entered the chat.**
> 
> **Morrigan:** I can't sleep. T_T
> 
> **Morrigan:** Jaehee, Baehee, you're still up?
> 
> **Jaehee:** Baehee...
> 
> **Jaehee:** Yes. I have some reports to finish before I can get to bed.
> 
> **Morrigan:** My sympathies. =( Shame you're missing out on your zZzZzZzs.

       Knowing one thing that could cheer up the overworked assistant, Morrigan asked about Zen and his musicals. It did not take long for the emojis sent by the other woman to turn cheerful. She could not help but smile as she saw the way the other woman brightened up as she talked about Zen's latest musical and how lucky she had been to be able to preorder it on DVD before it sold out.

 

> **Morrigan:** Maybe after the party we can go see one of Zen's musicals!
> 
> **Jaehee:** That'd be nice.
> 
> **Jaehee:** I have to go now. Try to get some sleep.
> 
> **Morrigan:** Ahaha. I'll try. Goodnight, Baehee~
> 
> **Jaehee:** ...Yes, well, goodnight.
> 
> **Jaehee has left the chat.**
> 
> **707 has entered the chat.**
> 
> **707:** Seven-Zero-Seven has arrived!
> 
> **Morrigan:** Cue the applause! Cue the trumpets! Rain confetti from the heavens!
> 
> **707:** Ahh, yes. Thank you, thank you!
> 
> **707:** <3
> 
> **707:** You're up late.
> 
> **707:** Could it be, that you missed me? 

      Morrigan's cheeks flushed and she resisted the urge to glance towards the security camera, wondering if he was looking at the screen of the CCTV feed that showed the apartment. Had he seen her nightmare?

 

> **Morrigan:** Ahh! You caught me, babe!
> 
> **Morrigan:** <3 

       She pressed her cheek to her face, feeling the heat that rose up at the playful banter they traded. He was up late working, a slave to capitalism, but claimed he needed a break to regain his energy. He typed that he felt refreshed, recharged, renew to have her cheering him on.

       Too soon he had to return to work and her smile fell as they said their goodbyes. The chat remained empty and Morrigan closed the app, allowing her phone to go dark as she leaned her head back against the couch to stare at the ceiling.

       She felt better. The drugs eased away her pains, pushing the nightmares away, but sleep did not cause her eyelids to droop. Groaning softly in irritation, she sat up again and turned her phone back on to browse the app store and see what games she might be able to download to pass the time.

       At least she had the credit card to take advantage of, enabling her to get any app off of Geegglo Play regardless of the price. Although Maria had not been keen on using something that Mint Eye had given them, they had little choice but to use it to get the necessitous for the apartment so they would not have to use a dead woman's bedding and towels. Plus food was important.

       She was in the middle of a hidden object game when her screen changed and her phone began to sing, revealing the familiar face of Seven as her caller.

       "Hello, City Morgue." She adopted a bad Brooklyn accent as she answered the phone. "You stab 'em, we slab 'em! How cans I help you today?"

       "I didn't wake you, did I?"

       "Nope. I was already up." She sent a worried look towards the bedroom where Maria was sleeping, hoping she was not being too loud. Lowering her voice a bit, she nestled the phone closer to her face. "I just couldn't sleep tonight."

       "Ahh, what a shame. Why's that?"

       "Nightmare. Pretty gnarly one to boot." She heaved an over-dramatic sigh and smiled when he took the bait.

       "A nightmare? Oh no! Your god, Seven-Zero-Seven, the defender of justice shall protect you from your nightmares! Just call out my name and there's a 0.000001% chance I'll appear!"

       "You'll have to make me scream your name later," Morrigan saw the opportunity and took it. "I can't be too loud right now."

       She imagined she could hear the cogs in his mind grinding to a halt and reaching an error, especially since she heard the quiet little strangled noise he tried to hide from her.

       "What's the matter, Seven?" She whispered into the phone with a smirk. "Cat got your tongue?"

       "Ahhh. Ahahaha." Even the laugh sounded a bit strained. "I, uh, spilled PHD Pepper over my desk and can't clean it up fast enough. We'll talk later, okay? Adios!"

       Morrigan had to press her hand to keep her giggles stifle, her mind growing warm at what she imagined how red Seven's face had to be. He was a skilled troll with a talent for making people laugh, and he was not innocent in a lot of senses, but he certainly was innocent when it came to innuendos.

       He was kind of completely perfect. The kind of guy she wished could meet.

       Reality crept in on her and she rolled away, putting her back to the camera as her smile fell away. Although everything felt real, tasted real, and even smelled real... This was just a game. It was not real and she would go home eventually.

       Why was she allowing herself to flirt with a fictional character? She was already attached to the Seven she knew from the other side of her tablet screen, but it was dangerous now. She might forget he was not real.

       It would suck. Really fucking suck to stupidly fall for him only to end up having a broken heart when she returned to the real world.

       If she even remembered her time here, but after what Mint Eye had done to her she doubted she could ever forget.

       Morrigan reached for bottle of medicine, sucking down a mouthful to stave off the headache and nausea that was rising and cursed Mint Eye and her rotten luck.

 

#

 

        Morning came with the buzzing of Maria's alarm. She slapped around for her phone for a moment, eyes screwed shut in stubborn denial of the time. Eventually she found the annoying device on the table and slapped her thumb against the screen until the irritating noise went silent.

       "Morning!" Morrigan poked her head in the bedroom and received a pillow to the face. "Rude."

       "It's too early to be that perky." Maria swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat up with a luxurious stretch. "Why are you even up so early? You don't have work, Miss Freeloader."

       "Hey, don't hate. It's not like we have to worry about the money." She chucked the pillow back, missing her completely and nearly knocking the lamp off the end table. "And it's not early for me. I've been up for a while already. I made breakfast!"

       "Bless you, you insane woman." Energised by the thought of a meal she did not have to make herself, especially this early in the morning, Maria made her way to the kitchen. "Okay, I'm totally grateful and all, but did you have trouble sleeping or something?"

       "Eh..." Morrigan swallowed and turned away to flounce to the refrigerator to pull out some juice. By the time she returned to the table with two glasses and the juice her expression cleared. "A little, yes. I guess it's from being here. I'm not quite comfortable yet."

       "I don't blame you there. It took me ages to crash out." Maria reached for the juice and filled her glass before digging in, spearing a breakfast sausage and taking a bite. She made a noise of pleasure and gave her a thumbs up, chewing and swallowing before speaking. "Just like mom's."

       "Yeah. Speaking of..." Morrigan picked up her spoon and poked at her oatmeal, her appetite sliding away from her as a feeling of uneasiness settled over her. Something felt terribly wrong. "I think we should hit the shop near your cafe. I saw a little statue in there I think she would've liked."

       Her frown deepened as the wrongness settled over her like a coat of sludge. Binary danced in her digits and the spoon slid in her grip, clinking as it hit the ceramic bowl. She shook her head to clear it.

       Had she been speaking of the mother provided by Mint Eye for a cover as if she were her own? Had Maria? Her eyes slid past her sister towards the bottle of medicine that sat on the counter. It had to be a side effect. Some kind of memory lapse.

       Morrigan did not mention it to Maria. Maria failed to mention her own trouble with memory and instead they talked about their individual plans for the day and cemented a plan to meet up after Maria got off work to have dinner together.

       Morrigan shooed Maria out of the kitchen with the excuse that freeloaders should clean while breadwinners should make sure they were ready for work. Grateful she did not have to do the dishes, Maria thanked her and rushed off the get dressed.

       "Damnit." As soon as her friend had disappeared into the bedroom to get dressed, Morrigan's shoulders sunk and she sucked in a deep breath. Her stomach turned, threatening to reject the bowl of oatmeal she had eaten. Mint coloured eyes skidded towards the bottle with her name on it that sat on the counter. When was the last time she had dosed herself?

       The cult had not left any directions about how often she should drink or how much she should drink. Before leaving the apartment provided by Mint Eye Morrigan had scoured the place to try to find any more bottles or some hint to help her. Nothing.

       The medicine helped. It levelled her out, gave her peace, and stopped the symptoms, but with every swig her meagre supply dwindled further.

       She dreaded what would happen when she ran out and pushed it further away, promising she would ration it as much as possible. Wean herself off of needing it, even as her stomach cramped.

       "You sure you don't want a job too." Maria poked her head into the kitchen, having finished dressing for work. "The manager is a bit weird, but she's nice. She'd give you a job in a heartbeat."

       "Nah, I'm good freeloading off the credit card for a while." She pushed away from the counter and planted a big smile on her face. The world spun and black bled into her vision, but somehow she managed not to sway. The world righted itself and her vision returned. She made a mental note not to move so quickly in the future. "I'll just make friendly with the RFA and poke through some of the stuff Rika left out in the open."

       "If you say so." Maria frowned. Morrigan was pale and there was a tension in the way she held herself and in the smile that was worrying. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask if she was feeling well, but closed it. There was no way of knowing if it was the 'test' she had suffered through or the drugs she kept close on hand. "You feeling alright?"

       "Yeah, just a bit tired." The yawn was faked, but Morrigan hoped it was convincing enough for the time being. "I'll probably take a cat nap later."

       "Well, text me if you need anything."

       Maria left for work and Morrigan heaved a ragged sigh of relief. Pushing back the sickness, she slowly turned to the breakfast mess and began cleaning up. It was mind-numbing work, but offered her a reprieve from her thoughts as she scrubbed the dishes.

       By the time she had finished cleaning up the kitchen she had broken out into a cold sweat and her hands trembled. She pressed a hot palm against her mouth and she swallowed hard to fight the waves of nausea that had only gained in strength.

       She tried to fight through it. It must have been two or three hours since she had her last sip. She told herself she could last another hour. Last a little bit longer, then she can have a sip. Just a little bit longer.

       Her phone chirped from the living room and she bit back a laugh, running her fingers through her hair. She steadied her expression as much as possible before leaving the kitchen to sink down onto the couch and open up the RFA app to see what they were saying in chat.

 

#

 

       Maria thought working would provide a distraction that allowed time to go by faster. At the very least she had hoped it would keep her mind off of the despair that edged in whenever she let herself relax. Echoes of the pain she had felt from Morrigan's test. The strengthening homesickness for the world she left behind.

       The work was easy and she got the hang of it quickly thanks to an over-eager manager and friendly coworkers. Wipe down tables and counters when they got messy. Greet customers with a smile. Shadow one of the waitresses to learn the ropes.

       Everyone was patient and accommodating. The job was surprisingly free of pressure. It did modestly well so the lunch crowds were a bit much for the shy woman, but the frequent breaks made it a lot easier to deal with.

       The job was stupidly nice which only made her feel more miserable.

       She had spotted the help wanted sign in the cafe's front window the evening before as she and Morrigan had explored the job. They had stopped in for dinner and the manager, a bubbly older woman dressed smartly in shades of blue and white, rushed over to gush over them.

       They were foreigners and stood out with their American features. The manager's cheeks were flushed with pink as she admired Maria's skin, comparing it to a sweet, light caramel. She giggled over Morrigan's pale mint eyes and disarming smile. As soon she had learned they were sisters, she offered them a job on the spot.

       Finding a job back home, in the real world, had been like pulling teeth from a crocodile without the aid of Novocain. Job application after job application, interview after interview, and she would have been lucky to land a job she hated with coworkers who slumped and grouched whenever customers or supervisors were not around to hear.

       It served as yet another reminder that this world was not her own.

       She slipped into the back during her lunch break and pulled out her phone to send a text to Morrigan to see how she was doing. While waiting for a response she opened up the RFA app and politely replied to the messages left by the members and checked to see what went on in the chatroom since she had last been in.

       Morrigan was becoming a regular in the chats, she noticed. Her friend appeared in almost every chat that had taken place since the initial one and joked cheerfully with the members of the RFA.

       How she had the strength to play friendly with them, as if they were real, as if they would not have to leave eventually.

       Maria checked her text messages and saw that her friend had yet to respond so she slipped into the chat. 

 

 

> **Maria has entered the chat.**
> 
> **Yoosung:** Heya Maria~
> 
> **Zen:** Hello!
> 
> **Maria:** Morri! Don't ignore your texts.
> 
> **Morrigan:** Oi, oi. I was just about to respond to you.
> 
> **Maria:** No you weren't.  >=|
> 
> **Yoosung:** So mean, Morrigan. You should've texted her back.
> 
> **Maria:** Lunch break's almost over. I'll call you when my shifts over. I might get off early today.
> 
> **Morrigan:** Awesome possum.
> 
> **Maria:** You won't ignore my call, will you?
> 
> **Morrigan:** Never, dear sister!
> 
> **Maria:** -_-
> 
> **Maria has left the chat.**
> 
> **Zen:** Oh, she left without saying goodbye.
> 
> **Zen:** Is she okay?
> 
> **Morrigan:** First day at the new job. Lots been going on lately. Don't take offence. She's not usually this much of a bear.
> 
> **Morrigan:** It's been fun chatting with you sweeties, but I'm going to run. Bubble bath time. Splishsplash!
> 
> **Morrigan has left the chat.**

 

#

 

       No longer capable of ignoring the side effects of going without the medicine, Morrigan excused herself from the chat and stumbled her way on shaky legs into the kitchen. She meant to only take a sip, but as soon as the first bit hit her stomach she swallowed down another, and another until the pain began to subside. Setting down the much lighter bottle, Morrigan wiped her mouth with a grimace.

       "I'm fucked." Every sip she had avoided in the hours of the morning had just been drained. Perhaps a bit more. Giving the sports bottle a light shake, she suspected she might have enough to get her through another day or two.

       That was not good enough. She had no idea how long she and Maria would be trapped here. The bottle would be empty before they got a chance to get any of the endings or complete a route.

       Morrigan was no fool. She knew her body was addicted to whatever chemicals filled that bottle. She knew she needed to get off of it before it got any worse. She also knew, as she stared at the bottle and remembered the horrible state she was in after avoiding it for a few hours, that the withdrawals would make her suffer.

       "Between a rock and a hard place." She grumbled as she flicked the bottle with her forefinger. It wobbled but did not tip over.

       The way she saw it, Morrigan had three options. One was to drink it when her body craved it and run out in the next few days. The second was to fight against it and try to slowly wean herself off of it, possibly extending the bottle to last another three days. The third was to pour what was left down the drain and hope she was strong enough to handle the withdrawals that would inevitably come.

       The addiction would only grow, she thought glumly. A heavy sigh left her lips and she let her head fall to the counter with a thump.

       She could not talk to Maria about this. There was already enough on her plate. Regardless of her decision, she would do everything in her power to keep her sister from worrying about her.

       "Sister?" Morrigan blinked and slowly lifted her head from the counter, thoughts blurring. What was her sister's name again? Not Maria. They were not really sisters. They had their own sisters. They were not Maria and Morrigan Chaikin.

       What was her sister's name?

       What was her own name?

       Morrigan reached for the bottle again and another swig dulled the ache the questions dragged through her mind.

 


	5. Day 3 - Names and Faces

     The shrill buzzing of an alarm clock pulled Maria from her dreamless sleep. With a groan of discontent she rolled over, blindly reaching for the phone to silence it. It went quiet and she nestled deeper into her pillow, having no desire to leave the warm comfort of her bed.

     "Morning!" Morrigan's voice sang out as loudly as any alarm thumped when she hip checked it out of her way. "Time to rise and shine and give bacon the glory, glory~!"

     "How the hell are you this cheerful?" She groaned as she scooted to the edge of the bed and forced herself to sit up.

     "I just am." She clasped her hands together in front of her, swaying back and forth as she stared at her. Her mint eyes turned serious and Maria noticed the bags under her eyes had deepened. "I, uh, I have a question."

     "Did you sleep?" She rushed over and grabbed Morrigan's arm. The swaying had seemed to be a side effect of early morning hyperactivity, but this close she could see the unfocused expression and lack of colour in her face.

     "Some," She admitted as she focused her gaze on Maria's face. She smiled but it came out flat. "Don't worry about it. I've just been having some bad dreams."

     "Are you sure I shouldn't worry?" Maria frowned and leaned in closer. "You look like roadkill."

     "Slander!" Morrigan stepped back and gasped dramatically, throwing her hands over her eyes and fake sobbing. "Ahh, my poor heart. My sister is so mean to me."

     "How am I supposed to be the little sister?" Deciding that Morrigan probably looked worse than she really was if she was still acting like a loon, Maria rolled her eyes and edged around her to head towards the bathroom to fresh up before breakfast.

     "Just admit it. You love me!"

     "When we get home I'm going to avoid your face for at least a month." Maria shouted back with a grimace. Maria was probably her best friend in the world, but she made for an annoying sister.

     Her eyes lifted to the mirror in front of her and she pressed her palm against it, feeling its cold, smooth surface. It felt just like a mirror was supposed to feel, but it was wrong. Her expression hardened and she pulled her hand away. It was wrong to feel so real.

     She wanted to go home. She wanted to play with her dogs and tease her real big sister. That familiar voice she had heard almost every day of her life seemed so far away now.

     How long had they been trapped in the game?

     She knew the timeline. It was day three, but Mint Eye had them for longer. How long she could never guess since the cult seemed to have a thing against calendars and clocks.

     How many times had she slipped up and called Morrigan her sister in her thoughts and out loud? Was that just out of habit, due to the cultists referring to them as sisters? Was it because of the cover?

     Was she forgetting her true past?

     The thought felt like ice in her veins and a choked sob left her lips. She covered her face and tried to rein in her emotions. She could not crack now. She just had to wear the mask a little longer, play for a little longer. Day five was coming and she could get a bad ending and go home then.

     Right?

     Maria sighed heavily and left the bathroom to find Morrigan waiting for her in the kitchen. Once again a full breakfast was laid out in her place while only a bowl of oatmeal was in Morrigan's place.

     "You know, you'd probably sleep better if you ate better." She waved her fork at the bowl across the table. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

     "Just be glad I'm eating. My appetite is nearly non-existent." She dug her spoon into her bowl and shovelled some oatmeal into her mouth.

     "It just seems like it's worse than normal."

     "Nah. We can order pizza for dinner and the black hole within me will open." Morrigan suggested with a smile. "Will that satisfy you?"

     "I guess." Maria shrugged and dove into her own meal before it got cold. Once her breakfast was finished she carried her dishes to the sink and turned to see Morrigan had yet to finish her bowl. Instead the older woman stared off into space, spoon resting in her hand and oatmeal long since having lost its warmth.

     Her hand had barely landed on Morrigan's shoulder and the purple-haired woman reacted as if burned. She jerked away violently, tumbling after her chair with an agonising scream that sent Maria's heart racing.

     "Morri! Morri! It's just me!" Maria dropped down to her knees and reached for her, but she only scrambled away. Her screams became strangled and she began sobbing.

     "Don't touch me! Get away!"

     "Morri, snap out of it!" Maria grabbed her friend's arms and squeezed them. "I'm right here. No one's going to hurt you."

     "It doesn't stop." She struggled to free herself from Maria's grip, eyes blank and unseeing. Maria's shoulders ached from holding onto her, but she refused to let go. Eventually the struggles ceased and the fight left Morrigan's body. "Why doesn't it stop? Pain, pain. Everything's just pain. Why is Paradise rejecting me?"

     "This is all Mint Eye's fault, isn't it?" She swallowed and softened her voice, experimentally scooting closer. When her advances were not rejected, Maria pulled the broken woman into her arms. "Shh, shh. Everything's going to be okay, Morri. Just come back to me, alright? I can't handle this without you."

     "Why?" Morrigan's usually energetic voice sounded so small as she sniffed, her sobs finally calming into hiccups. "Why this have to happen to us?"

     "I don't know. I wish I did." Maria rubbed her back, trying to bring the shivering woman some bit of warmth and comfort. "We just have to finish the game, right? Just get an ending and we'll wake up back home, back in our beds."

     "Maybe..." Morrigan took a deep breath and lifted her head. "I'll be okay now. Go to work. We'll talk afterwards, okay?"

     "Are you sure?" Work hardly seemed important after Morrigan's episode. "I can stay. I can call in. It doesn't matter if I work or not. This is just a game."

     "Just play along for a while longer, okay?" She breathed in deeply, held it for a moment, before letting it loose and giving Maria her best smile. "I'll be fine, I promise."

     "If you say so..." Hesitantly she released her and stood to offer her a hand up. "Just promise me you'll text or call if you need me, please."

     "I promise." Morrigan accepted her help up and, once she was on her feet, pushed her gently away. "Go get ready for work."

     Maria watched her for a moment longer, studying her face the shaky way she held herself together, before nodding lowly. She gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder before turning and leaving the kitchen.

     She missed seeing Morrigan dive to the sports bottle on the counter to suck down its medicinal comfort.

 

#

 

      Work dragged on and wore on Maria's already frayed nerves. She kept her mobile phone in her pocket just in case Morrigan needed her help, but it remained silent aside from the occasional ping from the RFA app or the buzz of a call from one of the members that went ignored.

     They were nice enough people and likely felt put out by the distance she kept between herself in there, but she could not bring herself to care about their feelings. However well fleshed out they were, they were still just characters from a game.

     A game she would immediately delete from her mobile as soon as she returned to her real home.

 _My mom is Cristina, my sister is Jessica, and my dad is Joel._ She kept their names as a running mantra in her head as she worked and smiled at people who were completely irrelevant. _My puppies are Jokin and Niko. This world is a lie._

     It was tedious. Wipe down tables. Take a customer's order. Deliver it to the back. Set down the full plates to take them away when they were empty. Collect the money and deposit it in the register. Pocket the tips.

     Smile although everything was wrong.

     By the time lunch rolled around her face ached from faking it and she retreated to a corner to be left alone so she could give herself a break. She shot Morrigan a text to check up on her, only to receive a vague response stating that she was okay.

     Pulling up the RFA app again, she flipped through the chatlogs to see that Morrigan was still a frequent sight in the names. Not once did she mention her panic attack. Not once did she mention her lack of sleep or appetite. She wrote as if she did not have a care in the world, chatting along with the RFA members as if they were old friends and flirting with Seven whenever he appeared.

     How could she pretend so well? Maria had no clue, because just pretending at work was almost more than she could handle.

 

**Maria has entered the chat.**

**Morrigan:** Hey Mar-Mar. Lunch break?

 **Maria:** Yeah. Decided to pop in and say hello.

 **Yoosung:** Heya Maria!

 **Yoosung:** How are you?

 **Yoosung:** Have you eaten?

 **Maria:** I'm eating now. Italian sub with extra salami.

 **Morrigan:** Yumyumyum.

 **Yoosung:** Ahhhh. I'm so envious!

 **Yoosung:** I got lunch at the cafeteria again today.

 **Yoosung:** It was pretty bad, but I paid for it so I ate it anyways.

 **Maria:** What about you, Morri? Did you eat?

 **Morrigan:** Yeah, of course I ate! I never skip a meal.

 

     What a liar.

 

 **Maria:** What'd you have?

 **Morrigan:** Oh. I made a grilled cheese sandwich and had that with some tomato soup.

 **Morrigan:** Speaking of!

 **Morrigan:** I should go wash dishes. Laters~

**Morrigan has left the chat.**

**Yoosung** : Do you have to go too, Maria?

 **Yoosung:** I know you're busy but we rarely get to see you.

 **Yoosung:** I really hope we get a chance to talk and get to know each other soon!

 **Yoosung:** You seem really cool.

 

     Maria's heart skipped a beat. No matter how many times she reminded herself that he was not real, she could not calm it down. Her fingers moved to type out a response, initially planning on excusing herself, but instead she informed him she still had time left before she had to return to work.

     The excited emojis she received in reply made her smile for real.

     She kept meaning to excuse herself after another message, but yet she did not. They talked and she found herself laughing. By the time that her break ended she actually felt disappointed that she had to end the conversation.

     When Yoosung sent her a text message telling her he enjoyed chatting with her and hoped they would able to do it again soon, she quickly replied that she looked forward to it as well.

     The buzz of happiness she received from the conversation slowly leaked away, dragging at the edges of the hole within her and widening it. He was artificial. A program meant to be friendly and fall for her if she were friendly enough with him.

 _This world is a lie. My puppies are Jokin and Niko. My dad is Joel. My mom is Cristina. My sister is..._ Horror nearly made her drop the tray she was carrying to the front. Try as she might, she could not recall her sister's name. Morrigan's name kept coming up in her place.

     "Enjoy your meal!" She chirped brightly as she delivered plates from the tray to the customers. Their thanks fell on deaf ears as she waved and left them to eat.

     She could not remember her sister's face either. She clung to the voice she remembered. The higher pitches of her sister's laughter and the low, slow mumble when she was tired.

     Maria knew she needed to go home. It felt like the longer she stayed, the more the truth slipped from her grasp.

 

 #

 

      Morrigan was stretched out on the couch when Maria got off work. Her fingers tapped away on her phone and she had a look of concentration on her face. Tinny piano music drifted from the phone in time with the woman's taps.

     "How was work?" She did not look up from the game she was playing.

     "Ugh." Maria dropped her bag on the table by the door and kicked off her shoes.

     "That bad?" A wrong note chimed and she cursed before abandoning the phone and looking up at her. Her expression changed to concern as she took in the drained look on Maria's face. "Whoa. Definitely that bad."

     "It wasn't the work so much the smiling." She lifted her hands to her cheek and rubbed the sore muscles. "It's a pain in the ass to smile when there's nothing to smile about."

     "Uh huh." Morrigan had no words of comfort. She leaned down and picked up her sports bottle to take a sip, letting the drugs settle her peaking nerves. "Did something happen?"

     "Yeah." Her shoulders slumped as she dropped her arms. "I forgot my sister's name."

     "Real funny. Like you could forget my name." Her laughter took on a hysterical edge and her wide eyes locked with Maria's. "I'm not your sister."

     "No. And I'm not yours. You have a sister of your own." She joined Morrigan on the couch and drew her legs up. Resting her chin on her knees, she stared down at Morrigan's abandoned phone see a piano screen covered with a glaring red game over pop up. It seemed oddly fitting. "Morri... What's your sister's name?"

     "It's..." She frowned and tightened her grip on the bottle. "It's not Maria, right?"

     "No. What about her face? Do you remember that?" Lifting her eyes from the phone she could see the gears turn and come up empty. "Your mother's name? Your cat's? What they look like?"

     "I know them, but..." Morrigan swallowed thickly and squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't see my mom's face. I just see the one from the pictures Mint Eye made. Lillian's."

     "We're losing ourselves." Maria spoke the words she feared the most. "We're forgetting who we were, who we really are. If this keeps up... We'll forget about home completely."

     "I felt something was wrong. Like the me I knew was slipping away but I thought it was because of the drugs." She shook the bottle to make her point. It sounded nearly completely empty. "If not these, then what Mint Eye did to me."

     "It's not." Maria swallowed and reached for the bottle. Unscrewing the top she could see that her guess was right. Morrigan was nearly out. "What happens when you run out."

     "I get sick." The answer was too simple, but neither of them knew just how badly the withdrawals would hit. "I was trying to take it slow and make it last, but after this morning..."

     "It'll be okay. We'll get through this." She screwed the cap back onto the bottle and handed it back. "I'll think of something. Some way to end the game so we can go home."

     Maria's eyes were drawn to the red game over again.

     She vowed to any power that existed she would find a way to get them free. She would not forget who she was and she would not let Morrigan suffer any more than she already had. She would do whatever it took.

     "I think..." The red was swallowed by black as the mobile phone went to sleep. "I think we need to have a game over."


	6. Day 4 - Game Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you read, I'd like to give you a warning so you can be prepared for what happens in this chapter.
> 
> This chapter ends with a self-inflicted bad ending for Morrigan and Maria. 
> 
> It should also be noted: This story isn't complete. This is NOT the last chapter.

      Maria's phone hit the wall moments after the shrill alarm pulled her out of a restless sleep. She rolled onto her back, opening her aching eyes to stare up at the ceiling. Although the alarm continued screeching, she made no move to get out of bed and shut it off.

      Eventually the alarm quieted, snoozing itself to go off again. It had quieted and gone off twice more before the door cracked open and Morrigan shuffled in.

      "I made breakfast." She dropped down onto the bed beside Maria and groaned into the plush comforter. "Go eat."

      "I'm not hungry." Maria rolled over onto her side to stare at Morrigan's tangled hair. "Did you sleep at all?"

      "Let's not ask stupid questions." Morrigan turned her head to look at her. The bags beneath her eyes had deepened further and her face was disturbingly pale. "I ran out of juice last night."

      "I figured you would." Maria's hand reached for her friend, only to pull back when she flinched away from the contact. "You haven't slept since we left Mint Eye, have you?"

      "I tried to, but the nightmares..." She pressed a hand to her eyes, trying to ease the ache that had settled behind them. "I'll hit up the store later today and get something to help me sleep. Once I get some rest I'll feel better."

      "Yeah, of course."

      It was a lie and they both knew it. Sleep might ease the bone-deep weariness that was making Morrigan's entire body ache, but it would not help keep away the demons Mint Eye had jabbed and branded into her body.

      She was starting to remember the rest of the testing. After the medicine ran empty, flashes of memory began returning. Now she no longer had to dream to have nightmares. Her mind was full of them.

      The pain. The agonising pain that made her run out of tears and beg for death until she had no voice left. Then numbing bliss of the drugs soothing her, only to fade and the pain to return. Again and again until the only thing her nerves knew was pain.

      All the while, the Savior promised her release. Even now she could hear her sweet voice, cooing about the pleasure of the everlasting party.

      "Do you have work today?"

      "Yeah, but I don't care. I'm not going in." Pushing herself up to sit upright took far too much energy. Maria could not imagine going back to work with that smiling mask on her face. "The job's a waste of time anyways."

      "I suppose it is."

      Neither of them moved or spoke until the shrill alarm went off again, urging them to come back to life. Morrigan made a noise, low in her throat, and rolled off of the bed to locate and silence the offencive demand. Like the dead, she shuffled towards the door, pausing with her hand gripping the doorframe to look back at Maria.

      "I'm jumping in the shower. If you need something, holler."

      Morrigan managed to make it away from the door and down the hallway before her strength ran out. She caught herself on the wall as convulsions tore through her body, threatening to spill the breakfast she had skipped. She pressed her hand to her mouth to dampen the sobbing gags, hoping that Maria did not hear.

      Eventually the convulsions subsided and she was able to continue onward. Without caring about temperature, she switched on the shower, stripped, and sunk down to the floor to let the freezing water wash away the clammy sweat that had covered her body.

      If only the water could wash away her growing sickness as easily.

 

#

 

      Seven's fingers paused over his keyboard as movement caught his attention. He saw Morrigan's purple hair as she disappeared out of sight into the bathroom. He watched the camera feed for a moment longer before returning his attention to his work.

      He had already grown familiar with the girl's morning routine. Morrigan always seemed to be the first up, pulling herself off of the couch with a yawn. She would gather her clothes for the day and disappear from sight for a shower. Afterwards she would shuffle off into the kitchen to make breakfast. Once that was done she would shuffle down the hallway to the bedroom.

      They ate together and then Maria would get ready for work before leaving. Morrigan would amble around the apartment, straightening things up before settling down onto the couch to pull up the RFA app to join the morning chatter.

      Morrigan was cute. He had already said as much to the chat when he first looked into her and her sister, but in the days and nights since, he saw more and more of her cuteness when he glanced towards the CCTV feed. He heard it when on the phone with her. Felt it through texts and chats.

      Even had a screenshot of her cute face flushed red after the particularly naughty comment she made in one late night phone call that had his heart racing and his mind struggling to focus on anything but the dirty, sinful thoughts she invoked.

      Yet something concerned him. He tried not to watch her, but it was hard not to. Her little smiles brightened his day, but the way she sometimes stumbled or       froze in place, eyes blank.

      Seven groaned and took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose to ease the ache. He had spent so long sitting there, eyes locked on the rapidly moving code, and not enough time in bed.

      His workload had already been full of work from the agency before Morrigan and Maria's sudden appearance added more. Neither task was one he could shirk his duties on. The dangers Unknown presented to the RFA could not go ignored.

      On top of that he had a feeling that he was missing something laid right in front of his eyes.

      "Aaagh." He groaned and slid his glasses back in place. He deserved a short break, right? He needed at least a few moments to relax and let loose a bit of steam. It would improve his concentration and productivity. Right, that was what he would tell Vanderwood if they stopped by.

 

**707 has entered the chat.**

**707:** Ahhhh.

 **707:** Ahhh.

 **707:** T_T

 **Yoosung:** What? Is something wrong?

 **707:** I'm so tired.

 **707:** Work

 **707:** Never

 **707:** Seems

 **707:** To

 **Zen:** Stop.

 **707:** Exactly! T_T

 **Zen:** I mean stop typing like that. You're taking up the whole screen.

 **707:** Ahh! So mean.

**Morrigan has entered the chat.**

 

      Seven's head jerked up and to the side, searching the CCTV feed for a second to find the woman had finished her shower and sat on the couch. She held her phone in one hand and used a towel to dry her hair with the other.

 

 **Morrigan:** Poor Seven. When will you get a break?

 **707:** At least someone sympathises.

 **Yoosung:** Try to get some rest.

 **707:** Easier said than done?

 **Morrigan:** I'd say scream for the defender of justice, but what happens if you scream for yourself?

 **707:** Maybe the Seven from another planet will come and help me.

 **Yoosung:** Does Maria have work today?

 **Morrigan:** There's only a 0.00000001% chance of that, Seven. Sorry, boo.

 **Morrigan:** Uh, no. Not today. Want me to see if she'll get on?

 **Yoosung:** You don't have to.

 **Yoosung:** But it'd be nice if she did come on.

 **Yoosung:** I really like talking to her. ^///^

 **Morrigan:** Oh ho ho. Is there romance a foot?

 

      A delighted smile spread across the redhead's face. The short break from work was already longer than he had initially intended, but he felt his weariness lift. Having a partner in crime to help tease Yoosung definitely worked wonders to recharge him.

      On the CCTV feed he could see Morrigan leave the couch and head straight to the bedroom. She disappeared inside, probably to pester Maria into joining the chat.

      Ahh, she was too good. A balm for his soul.

 

 **707:** Aha! This beautiful springly scent!

 **707:** Our yoosung is becoming a man!

 **Yoosung:** >////<

 **Zen:** They did seem to be getting along fairly well in chat yesterday.

 **707:** See! The flowers are blooming! Birds are tweeting!

 **Zen:** LOLOLOL

 **Yoosung:** Stoooop.

 **Morrigan:** Nah. Lolololol. Guess what? I got you a prize, yoosung! For being soooooo cute.

**Maria has entered the chat.**

**Yoosung:** !!

 

#

 

      Maria was a bit surprised to see Morrigan stumbling into the bedroom. She stopped at the foot of the bed, swaying in place and looking rather green as she tried to catch her breath. It took her a minute to settle her stomach before she could speak.

      "Pop in on chat for a while. Yoosung was asking about you." She waved her phone with a smile. "Come on. Have a little fun, okay? I think we deserve a little unwinding time."

      "No."

      "Fine, be that way." Morrigan huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll just stay right here then, loudly reciting every poem I know until you change your mind."

      "Please don't."

      "'How do I love thee. Let me count the ways!'"

      "Fine, fine! I'll get on." Maria crawled out of bed and retrieved her phone from where it had been left earlier. The screen was cracked, but posed no troubles in letting her bring up the RFA app. "At least sit down. You look 'bout ready to keel over."

      "I thought I was sitting." Morrigan's features scrunched up in confusion and she looked down. After a long moment, longer than it should take, she nodded in understanding. "Ahh, well, I'm going back to the living room."

      "Are you sure you can manage it? You can just sit here." Maria nodded towards the bed.

      "Yeah. I'm just more comfortable with some more back support." She waved off her concern and and began to head back towards the living.

      The chat continued on with Seven, Morrigan, and to a lesser extent, Zen teasing Yoosung. The blonde tried his best to ignore them and just chat with Maria, but they were fairly relentless. It was not until Maria expressed an irritation and Morrigan called an end to the teasing that Yoosung was given peace.

      Maria could not bring herself to relax. With every message her mask cracked further and further. She sent smilies in chat to Yoosung, but the ice in her veins reached her heart.

      It was high time they call an end to their charade.

      "I'm done playing."

      "What?" Morrigan lifted her head, eyes unfocused and skin clammy and shiny with fever sweat. "What are you talking about?"

      "This. I'm done." She waved her phone at her. "We've been wasting our time when the answer's been so simple. We need to end the game, Morrigan. Today! Before we lose any more of ourselves."

      "You know nothing happens in day four." The ill woman brushed her flat hair out of her face and squinted a little, trying to force herself to focus on Maria's face. "We might be able to get a bad ending tonight. I don't think you've been in the chat enough to gain enough favour with anyone."

      "Or I might have enough favour with Yoosung, who seems to be fond of me. Or all the favour you gained with Seven will be enough to keep the game going." Maria threw herself onto the couch and grabbed Morrigan's wrist. "Listen. We don't have to wait. We don't have to play these stupid roles."

      "But..."

      "We jump." There it was. The game over screen fading to black. "That's all we have to do. We jump and then we're home free."

      "What if it doesn't work?" It was impossible to be optimist about their chances. What Maria was suggesting might work, but it felt wrong It felt like something they would regret. "What if we just reset?"

      "If we reset then we try something else. We try the prologue's bad ending. We try day five. We try everything as quickly as we can." Her voice raised in pitch and her phone buzzed in her hand, coding running up her fingers in angry red. "I can't not try. I can't keep forgetting everyone. I refuse to."

      "I don't want to forget either, but..." Morrigan sucked in a deep breath. "I'm scared. Terrified. I don't even know what scares me more."

      "I know. I'm scared too." The coding was spreading, moving up along her arm. Their mobile phones crackled in their hands, the shapes falling in and out of the coding they were built with. "Come with me. To the roof."

      "I don't think I can." Walking around the apartment was getting hard. Morrigan doubted she had the strength to make it up to the roof of the complex, let alone take herself to the edge. Tears filled her eyes and spilled binary over her cheeks, but neither were in a state to notice.

      It was not fair. They did not deserve to wake up so far away from their homes, their families, and their world. Morrigan knew she did not deserve the torture, the drugs, or the illness that had descended on her since running out of the chalky medicine. It was better her than Maria, but she had failed to protect the younger woman from suffering.

      "Then I'll do it." Maria gave Morrigan's wrist a squeeze before releasing it. "You were strong for me already. It's time I paid you back."

      "I can't let you do this." Morrigan tried to grab for her but the younger woman slipped out of her reach. A wave of nausea rose up and she tried to hide the spasm. "Maria, please."

      "You don't have a choice in the matter."

      Maria left the apartment and Morrigan curled up in a ball. Her strength had run out far too soon and now the sweet Maria was taking it upon herself to do what she could not even bear thinking about.

      Everything began unravelling in front of her eyes. Numbers, letters, symbols. A mess of messages without context losing the shape of the walls and roof around her. The lights grew brighter until covering her eyes did nothing to stop it from swallowing her.

      Maria had succeeded. For better or for worse, they had received their game over without knowing where it would lead them.

 


	7. Glitch - Tangled Wires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the first Glitch chapter!
> 
> Glitches are what they sound like. Something going weird with the game.   
> They may or may not be canon to the story.
> 
> If you have an idea for a Glitch, feel free to suggest something.   
> Who knows! You might see it popping up in the future.

      Wires. So many wires. Why were they all so tangled and disorganised?

      If glaring and cursing at wires could somehow solve the mess, Morrigan would be done right now instead of growing increasingly frustrated with the whole ordeal. To make matters worse the entire mess would have been avoided if only they had listened to her earlier.

      "Did you figure it out yet?" Samantha's voice sounded distant. "'Cause I need to get some work done."

      "Fakebook doesn't count as work, Sammy-Jammy." Morrigan plucked at the edges of the mess of cords in an attempt to loosen the knots they had been tied into. The yellow cord was the absolute worst and the cause of the whole mess. She might have to cut it out or pin it away from the others to prevent this mess again. "Why do I have to fix this anyways?"

      "Because I can't do it." She could hear Samantha moving around and eventually settle in a squeaky chair. "You don't have to do it all at once. Just untangle one or two and the rest can be done in time."

      "Then I can go home?"

      "If that's where you want to go, sure. You don't have to though. As long as you're happy, it's alright."

      "Gee, thanks sis." Morrigan poked her head out from under her desk, only to see the chair was empty and Samantha was gone. Blinking in confusion see glanced towards the door, wondering if she just had not heard Samantha leave. "Rude. Could've said bye at least."

Yellow, teal, white, red, blue, grey, tan, green, brown, and purple. She plucked at them all, loosening and shifting the wires. Bit by bit the knot seemed less daunting.

      It took time and her back was aching from being hunched over beneath the table, but the knot was beginning to unravel and she slowly managed to free a few wires. One, two, three, four. Red, green, purple, and dark brown. There was still more knot to deal with, but she could do that another time or simply wait it out. Enough nudging and it might fall into place.

      Morrigan did not feel quite right leaving the tangle as it was, but she had done what she needed to do. Not everything had to be done at once. She could always work on the others later.

      Crawling out from underneath the desk, she stood and dusted off her knees before hunting down her bag. The classroom was full of desks, scattered with various objects and belongings, but she beelined towards her own. It flickered with green as she dug through, pulling out her mobile, her brush, and a few odds and ends to shove in her bookbag.

      Leaving the classroom behind, she made her way to the common room filled with people chatting. They quieted as she grew near and she accepted the pause with some grace and greeted them, only to receive more silence.

      "Well, fuck you too." Swallowing the bit of hurt, she turned her back on them and left the building without saying goodbye.

      The world opened up in front of her. Wind rustled the leaves of nearby trees, bringing a sweet, familiar scent mixed with the tang of ozone. Feeling more at ease in her skin, she took a moment to stretch luxuriously.

      "Morri." The voice that called to her was a rich tenor. She turned to find a tall, handsome black man with bright eyes and a brighter smile. "You heading home already?"

      "Guess so." She replied with a shrug, turning back towards the street. Confusion settled into her bones like a weight when she realised she did not know which way to go.

      "I'll walk with you, if that's not a problem." He shifted his own bag to his other shoulder and moved to stand at her side. "It's not safe for a woman to walk on her own."

      "You're always so sweet." Was he? Numbers swallowed her vision for a moment before she blinked it away. "A regular modern day knight."

      "It's the least I could do for one of my favourite princesses." He replied with a wink. He began to walk and she fell into pace beside him, trusting that he knew which way to go. "Speaking of, where is our dear, lovely Maria?"

      "She had to do something." Morrigan frowned as something prickled at the back of her mind. She was missing something important. Something big had happened, but what was it? Words came to her and slipped from her mouth and felt like the truth. "She fell. It's going to take a bit longer for her to come back together."

      "Ahh, well, I look forwards to seeing her when I do." Another one of his smiles was shot her way, paired with a wink that made her cheeks flush. He really was too handsome. "Hopefully she'll stick around this time."

      They came up to an apartment looming tall over the heads. Morrigan followed the grey and silver, seeing racing numbers reflected on the windows. The top of the building pittered out, losing its shape in angry red coding.

      "You know, you seem different every day." He was speaking to her again, luring her eyes away from the strange building and back to him as he led her inside.

      "That's because I am." She frowned at that. "I'm constantly changing, becoming someone else, but in the end I'll always be Morrigan."

      "I'm glad for that." The cool air of the building did little to cool the heat in her cheeks as he turned to her, catching her hand and bringing it to his lips. "You and Maria both. You bring life back to all of us."

      Her mouth opened and closed. Confusion and understanding thrashed apart her mind and she stood, riveted in page for a long moment. He still wore the same smile, edging a bit closer to her. His head lowered and she ducked away.

      "I have to find Seven." The words just blurted out of her as she freed herself from him. "He needs me, Zen."

      Zen? Was he Zen? She peered up at him, her face scrunching up in confusing. Of course he was. Who else could have such a charming face and gentlemanly disposition? He just looked different in this version of the world.

      "You'll find him." He released her hand, his smile somewhat sad. "Good luck."

      "Thanks."

      She left him beside, going deeper into the the apartment's twisting hallways. Upstairs, down another hall. Upstairs again and again until she was winded and her head felt light. Eventually she came to a door she somehow knew was is.

      The door, gilded and fine, was shut. Colours smooth and vibrant.

      Yet the door was rotting off it's hinges and cracked open. Dull, dark, and dank.

      She entered both doors, both worlds overlapping. Her vision flipped, seeing the beauty and the broken every second In both worlds Seven sat in the same corner, shoulders tense, and lips moving silently. He did not react to her appearance.

      Morrigan called out to him, the word falling from her lips knowledge that she should not have yet. It was too early, too soon, for the two worlds slammed together in front of her mind.

      He realises it too. Turning towards her, she can see the dawning of the knowledge and the way his face fell. She had messed up. She had gone out of line, taken something with her she should have left behind. Clung to something that was hindering her.

      Binary starts claiming the apartment around him.

      "Morrigan," His voice sounded so far away, nearly a whisper in its distance. His hand raises, reaching for her. The buzz of electricity takes his other words.

      Morrigan moves closer, trying to hear him, trying to reach him, as if that would keep the world form coding apart around them. She still can not hear him and he becomes urgent. He tries to make her promise something.

      Her words are gone, taken by the ones and zeros and defeat falls heavily over him. A thin spark of hope flickers, dangerously close to code out.

      Behind him, his laptop races with numbers. Binary.

0100110101101111011100100111001001101001011001110110000101101110

      Her name. She knew it was her name. Over and over again with one other word.

010100000110110001100101011000010111001101100101

      _Please_.

      She blinked and the world was gone, leaving nothing but colours and codes that hurt her eyes. She squeezed them shut waiting for the world to reform around her again.

      This time she would not fail him.

 


	8. Day 0 - Begin Again

They had forgotten how cold their birthing capsules had been. The lights had flickered on with a buzz and, muted, they could hear the cultists gasped as they opened their eyes.

 

“Behold our angels.” The crowd parted around the Saviour as she moved forward. A smile graced her beautiful face as she looked down at them. “Welcome to Mint Eye. We have so much planned for you. But first, my apologies. We must assure ourselves of your health.”

 

The cultists leapt into motion. Robes were rushed towards them as soon as the Savior had activated the mechanism that pulled their glass lids away. Wordlessly the pair looked at one another as they accepted on the robes.

 

They were back in Mint Eye headquarters.

 

“There’s no need for tests of any sort.” Remembering the tests she had to endure to gain their trust and make them believe she was an angel, she swung her legs over the side cradle and stood.

 

“Oh?” The Savior’s eyes dipped over her and it was all Morrigan could do not to squirm or cover her nakedness. The cold, empty eyes lingered on the logo branded into her hip, completely healed and looking as if it had always been there. “You bear the mark and the eyes of the Beloved, but your sister does not.”

 

“No, because she doesn’t need the marks.” Morrigan lifted her chin and met the Savior’s eyes without flinching. A silent challenge. “Having such markings would only compromise the integrity of our plans.”

 

“Of course,” The sweet voice lilted softly in understanding. She sounded pleased. “For the everlasting party, for Mint Eye.”

 

“Yes. Now…” She glanced towards the cultists who were gawking. They lowered the eyes and bowed their heads when they realised she was watching. “Send them away. We don’t need them at this point.”

 

“You have plans to infiltrate the RFA.” Maria came to stand at Morrigan’s side, already robed. “You plan to plan a girl carefully selected from the city’s populace. We’ll be going in her place.”

 

“Oh?” The Savior’s expression hardened. She shot a glance towards one of the nearby cultists, nodding sharply. He turned to the rest and began ushering them out of the room in a hurry. “I’m certain we could use you elsewhere, my Angels.”

 

“You can, of course, my Savior.” Morrigan swallowed, realising that they were threading on dangerous grounds with the unstable cult leader. She had forgotten how terrifying the woman was in person.

 

“We know Mint Eye and the RFA inside and out. We know what to say to win them over and gain their trust.” Maria’s fingers brushed Morrigan’s arm. It comforted the both of them as she took the Savior’s attention. She had convinced the woman once before. She could do it again. “We are your Angels, birthed to aid your plans. This is what Paradise wants from us.”

 

“And our candidate. Are you saying she would fail us?” The Savior’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying our search was flawed?”

 

“She’s a variable. She has a high chance of succeeding in making your plans a reality, but…”

 

“But she has a chance of failing.” Morrigan piped in. “There is a risk in allowing her to join he RFA. Instead of weakening them she could strength them and push them further from Mint Eye’s reach.”

 

“I will take this into consideration.” The Savior finally spoke with the ghost of a smile on her face. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest and tilted her head. “I will send someone to prepare the necessary materials if I decide your use is best suited for that project.”

 

They waited until she was gone, counting to sixty before letting out a breath. Morrigan shrugged on her robes and turned to Maria, eyes scanning her face and noticing tiny, barely noticeable scars that littered her exposed flesh.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“For someone who fell fourteen-stories, yeah.” Maria rubbed the back of her neck. “How about you?”

 

“Withdrawal free.” She held up her hands with a bright smile. Neither shook and she felt steady on her feet. She could not see, but her colouring had return to normal. “I feel right as rain.”

 

“Your eyes are still mint.” She just had to rain on her parade. Morrigan’s eyes fell and she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Hey, don’t let it bother you. We jumped past all the poking and prodding because of it.”

 

“Yeah, we did.” She glanced towards the door and hummed softly. “And if we keep playing our cards right, being the perfect little Angels, we can get out of here much faster than we did before.”

 

“And then what?” Morrigan sat down in her cradle and chewed on her lip. The fall had failed. The game over had only brought them right back to the beginning with the scars of the past remaining.

 

“I think… I think it’s safe to say we avoid bad endings.” She could remember the fall. The wind burning her and the numbness that had swallowed her fear. She never wanted to feel that way again. “Like you said in the beginning. We play the game.”

 

“Aiming for a good ending this time?”

 

“Definitely.” Maria’s eyes moved to the Mint Eye logo emblazoned on the wall. “I don’t think we can leave until we stop them. Until we save the RFA.”

 

“Then that’s exactly what we’ll do.” Morrigan’s hand closed over Maria’s and gave it a squeeze. “Doesn’t matter anymore that this is a game, sis. It’s real to them.”

 

 

#

 

 

 

It was a bit awkward sitting at a table across from Saeran who was engrossed in his work. He avoided their gaze as his deft fingers flew across the keyboard, building up years of internet history for the Angels as quickly and cleanly as possible. It was a lot of pressure on his shoulders, knowing that Seven would be looking into the women as soon as they appeared in the RFA chat. He had to make it completely and utterly flawless.

 

They helpfully supplied information when he needed it, making the process easier, but served as a distraction. The one called Morrigan, with eyes that matched his own, watched him with something like pity. He was not sure how that made him feel, but he hated it. He felt like he was laid bare in front of her, like she could see the failure that he was, and he hated her for it.

 

At the same time he basked in the fact that one of Mint Eye’s precious Angels had an interest in someone as low and filthy as him.

 

He was envious of the perfect life he pulled together for them. A mother and father, though deceased, who loved them dearly enough to adopt them and raise them as if they were own. A history of jovial birthdays and present filled holidays surrounded by doting families. Sisters that shared almost everything, as close as any sibling could be even if they shared no blood and carried skin of different tones.

 

They were Angels, he told himself as he refused to look up from his laptop. They deserved nothing but the very best he could offer them. They were a form of perfection he could never hope to reach.

 

“We’ve been at this for hours.” Morrigan’s voice was kind, almost as sweet as the Saviour’s. He drank it in, his eyes flicking to hers from above the shield of the monitor separating them. “I think we should have a break for lunch.”

 

“Go ahead and eat. I’ll be fine without you for while.”

 

“Sure, sure.” Maria’s chair creaked as she stood up. He could hear her footsteps as she walked towards the door.

 

“But when was the last time that you ate?” The purple-haired angel’s chair creaked and her footsteps came over. Her shadow fell over him and his fingers stilled over the keyboard. He felt her fingers grace his bared shoulder and could not resist the shudder that danced own his spine. “Saeran, you should eat too.”

 

The name, one he never heard anymore, sounded so strange coming from her lips. He could almost imagine it was affectionate.

 

“I’ll eat when I’m done.” His words were sharp enough to make her flinch away and he swallowed the disappointment chilling him when the warmth of her hand moved away from his shoulder. He wanted to turn to her, to apologise for the thorns in his words, but he kept his eyes on the screen in front of him.

 

“Promise?” She leaned in close, her long hair falling and brushing against him to cloud his thoughts with her scent.

 

“Yeah, fine.” Saeran found himself unable to resist giving in to her request.

 

“Good!” Her scent swooped down and he felt something soft and warm touch his cheek. It happened in the blink of an eye and she was already heading out the door before he could breathe.

 

His hand rose to his cheek, hovering near the skin that still tingled with the short-lived touch of her lips. He swallowed thickly dropped his hand to his lap, mind and soul churning dangerously as he tried to understand what just happened.

 

He had been given a short amount of time to build a life for the girls, but as he worked the data came easier - springing forth from his fingertips as if it had been there all along. Abandoned blog posts from their pre-teen years where Morrigan waxed poetic and Maria shared rough sketches. Email addresses and contact lists. A slurry of people from America that they had not spoken to in years.

 

Pictures were pulled, seemingly from thin air, to plaster social media sites. Selfies taken with smiles and funny faces. The girls standing together, arms slung over each other’s shoulders. Graduation photos with bright robes and triumphant grins. Prom photos with them holding hands with some male who could never deserve to be graced by their presence.

 

Saeran hated it all, but he especially hated those pictures. Worse yet, he hated that they bothered him so much.

 

#

 

Morrigan and Maria were treated like royalty as their backgrounds were being prepared for the infiltration. They were served food on silver trays whenever they even mentioned they were hungry. They were given a room with plush bedding and closets full of silken robes to wear. The very best of everything as an apology for the time it too for the hacker to finish his work.

 

The Savior visited frequently. Sometimes she came at random times when the sisters were relaxing, eating dinner, or pondering tea. She always commanded their complete attention without vocalising it as she drifted in and claimed a seat at the clawfoot table in the corner of their room.

 

Sometimes she spoke about Paradise and the Everlasting Party. Other times she talked about the RFA. Occasionally she would question them, picking their brains for the knowledge they claimed to have.

 

It was the worst when she sat down and said nothing. Her empty eyes locked on them. If they moved, so would her eyes, all without ever speaking a word.

 

“I can’t begin to imagine what goes on in her head.” Maria huffed one evening as she changed for bed. The Savior had shown up in their room four times that day, staying increasingly longer until she finally wandered off with a quiet wish for them to sleep well. “It’s freaky, the way she stares.”

 

“I know.” Morrigan was already dressed, hair still damp from a shower and combed out. She sat crosslegged on top of her bed, the blankets still tidy underneath her. “I know she’s done all these horrible things and I hate her for them…”

 

“But she’s been through a lot.” Maria finished for her. “And her mind is ill.”

 

“Yeah.” It was easy to hate the Savior, but just as easy pity the shell of a woman she was. “As much as I’d like to see her suffer for her crimes, I’d also like her to get help, you know?”

 

“I do.” Maria motioned towards the lamp and her sister turned it on. With that on she was able to turn off the overhead and make her way back to her bedroom without stumbling into any furniture in her way.

 

“She’s dangerous and needs to be stopped.” There was steel in Morrigan’s tone as she turned her eerie green eyes to the door. “We can’t let Mint Eye continue. We can’t let her do what she did to me, what she did to Saeran, and countless others. We have to save everyone from her, even if that means we have to save her too.”

 

“What did she do to Saeran?” Maria asked as she slid beneath her blankets and wiggled into a comfortable position. “I see the way you look at him. You don’t have the hate for him that you do for her. Why? Wasn’t he the one that tortured you?”

 

“He was, but he wasn’t always that way.” Her face settled into a look of sad contemplation. The details about Saeran’s life was growing fuzzy in her mind, but the feeling that he was once a good person stayed strong. “He was… He was just a sweet kid before Mint Eye. Hurting, vulnerable, and she twisted him.”

 

“Can we afford to worry about him? We’ve got so much we need to do…”

 

“You don’t have to worry about him.” Morrigan turned to look at her, offering a small smile. “Leave Saeran to me. I’ll hold onto this feeling, this desire to save him. It’ll help me. You can relax and leave it to me.”

 

“If you say so.” Maria yawned and felt her eyelids growing heavy. “Are you going to sleep tonight?”

 

“I’ll try.”

 

Although Morrigan was able to catch a few winks every now and then, she had yet to have a restful night’s sleep. The withdrawals from the drugs were a distant memory, but the nightmares of her torturous test still slipped into her mind when she slept. She still flinched when someone touched her without warning, but the following panic attack was able to be swallowed until she could get back to their room where no one but Maria could see her in such a broken state.

 

It only fuelled their growing determination to take down Mint eye once and for all. Perhaps then Morrigan would be able to sleep.


	9. Day 1 - Brighter Start

      Having already made the walk to Rika’s apartment once before, neither of them bothered to check the GPS more than a few times since leaving their complex.

      “We were so twitchy the last time we did this, weren’t we?” Maria nudged her sister with a smile. “Not that I blame us one bit. Now it’s kind of exciting.”

      “It is.” Morrigan had to agree. She could still remember the feeling of dread and paranoia that had followed hot on their heels the first time they made this ten minute walk. They had been so worried that Mint Eye was spying on them that they barely spoke to one another and had rushed through the streets.

      The pair took their time now, taking comfort in their knowledge that Saeran was merely waiting for the confirmation of their arrival. He was probably already set up near the apartment watching the security feed or tucked in some out of view corner. Then again, given the trust Mint Eye was putting in them, he might simply have returned to the headquarters after they were taken into the city.

      This time Morrigan was the one who had received his message, setting them on the path towards the RFA. She played the worried, reluctantly helpful stranger in her messages, but still messed with him about the lock. How could she resist when she could easily imagine the irritated look on his face.

      They immediately sat down once inside, joining the chat and waiting to be noticed as familiar chatter filled their screens.

 

 **Maria:** Hello?

 **Morrigan:** We come in peace.

 **Maria:** I don't think that's helping, space cadet.

 

     The group was buzzing with confusion and suspicion and rather than taking a backseat, they explained how they were led to the apartment through messages from Unknown in order to leave a note about a missing mobile phone.

      Once they agreed to join the RFA and help plan the party, they said their goodbyes to the chat before switching over to the texts to respond to the onslaught of greetings they received.

      “Now that’s done… Shall we go shopping?”

      “Nah. I think this time we’ll just use the ghost’s stuff.” Morrigan deadpanned as she slipped her phone back into her purse and headed for the door. “Keep your phone on. Yoosung might call you again.”

      “Shut up.” Maria elbowed her in the ribs, only receiving laughter in response to her violence.

      “Are you getting that job again? Gonna stalk your Yoo-yoo?” Morrigan wagged her eyebrows playfully, taking pleasure in her sister’s embarrassed expression.

      “Maybe I will.” She huffed and locked the apartment door before heading towards the elevator. “Maybe I’ll even say hello to him.”

      “Dream on.”

      They had made it on the bus before Maria’s phone began to sing. Her cheeks flushed red as she pulled out the device to see Yoosung’s name and picture on the screen.

      “Hello?” Maria spoke into the phone with the beginning of a smile on her face. “Yoosung, right?”

      “That’s right! It’s so nice to hear your voice. It’s so cute!” He chirped back in clear excitement. “I hope this isn’t a bad time. Seven added you and your sister to the contact list and I thought I’d be the first to say hello! Did I succeed?”

      “Actually, you’re the first to call either one of us.” She replied. “Good job!”

      “Cool! I really hope you and Morrigan feel welcome.” His cuteness and cheerfulness had her biting back a squeal. Even if this conversation was very familiar, she was enjoying it.

      “We do. You all seem really great.”

      “I’m glad to hear that.” He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Oh! A rare monster just showed up. I’ll talk to you again later, right?”

      “Definitely.” Maria pressed a hand to her cheek, wondering if her blush was as visible as it felt. “I’ll look forward to it!”

      “Aha, m-me too! Until then!”

      “I think that was the cutest thing I have ever witnessed.” Morrigan teased her with a kissy face. “Yoosung and Maria, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

      “Uh huh. Shut up with that.” She reached around her and pulled Morrigan’s phone out of her purse. With a few swipes and taps she found Seven’s number in the contact list and had the phone ringing. She shoved it into Morrigan’s hands with a wicked grin. “Your turn!”

      “Hello?” Seven’s voice brought blood rushing to her face. She was caught off guard and unsure how to proceed in the public venue that was the city bus.

      She slid her finger across her throat in silent

      “M-meow.” Morrigan tried her best to keep her voice down so that no one sitting too close could hear her.

      “Ah! Ah! A cute little kitty has called me!” His excited voice helped ease away a bit of her stage fright. “Meow!”

      “Ehehe. Don’t bite my ears, meowster.” Her sister giggled and she shot her an embarrassed glare. “They’re sensitive.”

      “Aww, but they’re so bitable.” He clicked his teeth together and they both laughed. “I’m just showing my love. Chomp, chomp, chomp.”

      “I feel the love.” She let out her best imitation of a purr and heard him choke. “Ahh, meowster, are you okay?”

      “Y-yeah.” She could hear him chuckle in a nervous sounding manner. “I knew you’d be fun to talk to, Morrigan.”

      “Morrigan? Who’s that? I’m your Neferkitty.” She purred again. He did not choke again, but that adorably nervous laugh returned. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. “I’m so jealous!”

      “Oh no, my precious kitty, don’t be jealous!” He continued to play along, gushing into the phone. I’ve got enough love for the both of you!”

      She squeaked and her face burned hotter. Seven began to giggle and she could not resist joining in.

      “Ahh, I knew calling you would be great. Thanks, Seven. Mwah.” She was smiling so hard she thought her face would freeze that way. “I’m definitely going to call you more often. I think Neferkitty’s going to need to say hello again.”

      “Ah! I feel so special.” He laughed into her phone. Her heart did a funny little jump. “My heart. Ah, I think it skipped a beat.”

      “Glad I’m not the only one.”

      “R-really?” There was a sound in the background and she could hear him sigh. “Work calls and I am it’s slave. Until next time, my darling and cute Neferkitty! Bye bye!”

      With the call ended Morrigan bit back a sigh and slid the phone back into her purse, trying to avoid her sister’s beaming face. She knew her face was red as a can of PHD Pepper and was dreading hearing Maria tease her over it.

      “Soooo, how’d it go?” Maria nudged her shoulder, barely holding back her laughter. “Did I hear wedding bells?”

      “Oh, you totally did.” Morrigan shot back with a grin of her own. “Yours and Yoosung’s, that is.”

      The punch in the arm was definitely worth seeing the younger woman’s cheeks blaze red all over again.

#

     They hit the cafe first for lunch to be struck with deja as the manager rushed over to shower them with compliments. They took it in stride with blushes and thanked her. When the job was offered Maria accepted it and Morrigan turned it down gracefully with a smile and an offer to help out on occasion, if they absolutely needed her.

      Once their meals were finished, the women waved goodbye to the manager and left the cafe to poke through the other shops in the mall to start purchasing what they needed for the apartment. It was getting dark outside by the time they felt like they had gotten everything they needed for at least a little while longer.

      “Can we call a cab?” Maria sagged beneath the weight of her bags. Her sister looked worse for wear, having insisted on carrying the most. “I really don’t want to deal with the bus with all of this.”

      “Agreed.” Morrigan shuffled around her bags in an attempt to free a couple of fingers to get into her purse. The bags tumbled free and she tripped over them. The wind was knocked out of her lungs, but the bags softened her landing. “Dude, fuck the bus.”

      “You good down there?” Maria shuffled closer and peered down at the mess of woman and bags.

      “Totally good. Just having a discourse with gravity.” Morrigan untangled her arms from the bags and felt around for her purse in the mix. Since she did not know the number for a cab she went to her recent contacts list and dialled Seven.

      “Who are you calling?”

      “God Seven.” She answered as she listened to the phone ring, hoping he would pick up. “Why search for a cab company when you’ve got a genius on speed dial?”

      “Do you really have him on speed dial?”

      “Wouldn’t you like to know.” She heard the phone click and held up a finger to Maria, putting their conversation on hold for the time being. “Oi, Seven, babe, love of my life, could you do me a big favour?”

      “Is everything okay?” His concern was heartwarming, but she was quick to assure him that everything was fine. “Then what’s the problem?”

      “It’s a silly problem really, but Maria and I went out shopping to buy some stuff for the apartment.” She looked down at the bags she was sprawled atop of. “We might’ve overdone it a little.”

      “Good job.” He had the gall to laugh at her, the soul echoing nicely in her ears and warning her cheeks.

      “We don’t have the number for a cab… So could you pretty please do me the favour of getting me the number of one?”

      “Sure, sure. Got something to jot it down onto?”

      “Yeah, gimme a moment…” She shifted her phone against one ear, craning her neck to hold it in place as she fished a small notebook and pen out of her purse. “Right, gimme the goods, babe.”

      “Okay, it’s +82)10-7070-&O&X.”

      “Seven…” Morrigan frowned down at the number she had written down. “Thats your number.”

      “Oh, you memorised my number?” She could practically hear the grin on his face. “Is this a sign we’re meant to be?”

      “Shush your piehole.” Her face blazed red. “Of course we are. Seriously though, unless you’re going to come drive me and my sister home, I could really use that cab number.”

      “R-right, right.” He was quiet for a moment, presumably pulling up the proper phone number, before he spoke again to slowly give her another number. This one seemed completely unfamiliar so she accepted it as the true one.”

      “Many thanks!” She held the notepad out to Maria who shuffled around her bags until she could take it and call their ride. “So what do I owe you?”

      “Nothing~! Just throw the best party you possibly plan.”

      “Will do, sugarbear.” She blew a kiss in the phone and heard a low, odd noise coming from the other end. “You’re the best.”

      “Morri, I’d give you a ride if I could.” His tone sounded more serious than usual. “But work and the whole secrecy thing… Text me when you’re home, okay?”

      “Don’t worry, daddy. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m back safely.” She rolled her eyes, but beamed at his concern for her wellbeing. “I gotta pick up these bags and you have work to finish. We’ll talk later.”

      “Yeah. Adios.”

      Less than an hour later Seven received a text message.

 

_You can relax knowing your kitten made it back safe and sound! Meow~ <3_

 

 


	10. Day 2 - Tease

       

      Maria woke up to her alarm and reach for the end table to give it a sharp tug. The offending device slid towards her, whacking her in the wrist. She fumbled sleepily with it before managing to turn it off.

      It took her a few minutes longer to pull together the energy needed to slide out of the warm embrace of the bed. She stretched and left the room to shuffle down the hallway towards the bathroom to relieve her bladder and splash some water on her face to wake up.

      “Mariaaaa.” Her name was muffled a bit by the door, but she could still hear her grumbling and drumming her fingers against the door. “Hurry up, sleepy head!”

      “You’ve been up all night. You could’ve gone before I got up.” Maria shouted in response, only to hear Morrigan giggling. The woman was out of her mind. Taking longer than needed to dry her face, she procrastinated in the bathroom before finally opening the door.

      “Took you long enough.” Morrigan stuck her tongue out at her as she ducked past. “Breakfast is on the table already. Eat up!”

      Breakfast smelled delicious. Bacon cooked just enough to have a satisfying crunch while still being somewhat chewy. Fluffy eggs lightly seasoned. Crunchy toast. Cool juice. Maria was getting spoiled.

      “I think I’ll forgive you for being a pain in the ass all these years.” Maria told Morrigan as she entered the room before spearing some eggs and popping them into her mouth. “Just keep making me breakfast and I won’t kill you in your sleep.”

      “You’d have to catch me sleeping first.” Her eyes twinkled and it seemed as if the bags beneath them had lessened slightly.

      “Speaking of… You managed to get some sleep last night, didn’t you?”

      “Not much, but yeah.” She dug into her bowl of oatmeal and shovelled some into her mouth. “Chatted with the RFA for a while and managed to have a nightmare free catnap.”

      “That’s great! Maybe there’s some hope for you yet.” A catnap might not be much, but every little bit of nightmare free sleep was definitely appreciated. Turning her thoughts down a different road, Marie’s face grew sombre. “You know that shop near the cafe that sales those little marble sculptures?”

      “Yeah, the itty bitty ones.” Morrigan held up her pointer finger and her thumb with about an inch and a half between them. “Super cute. What about them?”

      “I was thinking maybe we should pick some up for mom and dad.” Maria poked plucked a piece of bacon from her plate and munched on it as she tried to understand why that did not seem to bother her as much as it should. Eventually she mentally shrugged it off. “I kind of feel like we should pay our respects, you know?”

      “Yeah, I know what you mean.” Morrigan offered her a small smile. “They are our parents, sort of, and… It just feels like the right thing to do.”

      They finished breakfast and Morrigan shooed Maria out of the kitchen so she can start cleaning up. Grateful for the meal, and not having to deal with the dishes, she let herself be shoved out of the kitchen and returned to the bedroom to dig a decent outfit out of the shopping bags neatly piled in the corner of the room.

      Although Maria was certain the manager would find no problem in anything that she chose to wear, she still wanted to look presentable and at least semi-professional. It was supposed to be a fairly casual place, so in the end she settled on a nice pair of jeans, a long tanktop, and a short sleeve button up to complete the look. It was was cuter than she usually dressed, but it would serve its purpose.

      “Do you remember the time I went to a job interview wearing a spiked dog collar?” Morrigan asked from the couch after Maria had wandered into the living room to collect her ID and credit card. “I had so much eyeliner on I looked like a panda and black lipstick to boot.”

“Oh, I remember. You really didn’t want to land that job.” She slipped the cards into her back pocket along with her mobile phone. “I also remember you hid up in the treehouse for nearly a week straight after they called you back for a second interview.”

      “Yeah, good times.” Morrigan looked up from her phone to give Maria’s outfit a once over. “Cute. The manager might give you a raise as soon as she sees you.”

      “Keep dreaming.” Maria rolled her eyes. “Are you in the chat right now?”

      “Yeah, I’m talking with Jaehee the Baehee about Zen’s musicals.” She smiled down at her phone. “Her excitement over them is really too cute.”

      “Tell everyone I said hi and that I’ll pop on during my lunch break.” Checking the time, she saw that she needed to head out if she wanted to catch the bus downtown. “And don’t tell them where I work.”

      “Of course not. Where would the fun of that be?” Morrigan’s smile was sly and spelled trouble. “I’ll tell them you said hi - especially to Yoosung.”

      “I hate you.” The blush that rose up in her cheeks made Morrigan snicker. “Go cringy-flirt with the hacker and stop teasing me.”

      “Oh, I plan to flirt my ass off.” Morrigan replied. “Except I can multitask and tease the hell out of you too.”

      “You’re obnoxious.”

      “Don’t I know it!” She blew her a kiss. “Now get the fuck out of here and go make some money.”

 

#

 

       Maria quickly became a favourite in the cafe. It was only her first day, but she picked up on the ins and outs of waitressing, cleaning up, and slipped into the natural pace of the cafe at a fairly quick place. The only thing she had a problem with was smiling and small talking with customers for very long, but no one held that against her since she was so new.

      Her coworkers were forgiving of any mistakes she made and slipped in to help her when she started getting anxious. Despite the strangers that came in and out and the sometimes tedious work, she found herself enjoying working at the cafe. It had a nice environment that eased her general discomfort with work.

      It was during the quiet after the storm that was lunch hour that Maria spotted something bright in the front windows. She paused, her dishrag freezing in place as she realised exactly what she had seen.

      Yoosung’s eyes were on the brightly coloured phone in his hand. He walked slowly, giving her more than enough time to confirm to herself that, without a doubt, it was her fellow RFA member. Her heart leapt into her throat and she dove down beneath the table, bumping her head in the process, hoping he did not look up from his mobile phone to see her on the other side of the window.

      She pressed her hands against her face and tried to will the blush away as the seconds dragged by agonisingly slow. Was he still out there? She was afraid to check.

      “Are you okay down there?” One of her coworkers, a pretty college student by the name of Hye-Jin, knelt down to peer at her in concern. “Did something happen? Should I get Manager Yi?”

      “Oh, uh. N-no, no need.” Maria’s face heated up so much she thought she might burst into flames. She scooted out from beneath the table and stood with Hye-Jin’s help. “I just saw someone I know and didn’t want him to see me.”

      “Was it an ex?” The concern on her face deepened and the look she shot towards the window was pretty scary. She looked as if she was more than willing to go find the imagine villain and tear him a new one. “Has he hurt you? Is that why you hid?”

      “No, no. It’s nothing like that.” Startled by the woman’s sudden change in demeanour and worried she might have started some trouble, she threw up her hands. “It’s not an ex and he’s a great guy. I just didn’t expect him and have no idea what to say to him if I do see him so I hid because I’m not like my sister and I’m really bad at things like this.”

      Hye-Jin's expression changed with every rapid word that left Maria’s mouth. The violence in her eyes transformed into playful amusement. She waited until she was sure that the embarrassed woman was done speaking before nodding slowly.

      “So… Your crush walked by.” There seemed to be a measurement of understanding in her lightly teasing tone. “Manager Yi was right. You are a girl of extraordinary cuteness.”

      “And I’m leaving.” She turned on her heel and headed towards the back, hearing Hye-Jin’s good natured laughter behind her.

 

#

  

      “No fucking way.” Morrigan wheezed, tears leaking from her eyes. She clutched her waist, fighting to breath between fits of laughter. “You seriously hid from him?”

      “Yeah. Bumped my head and everything.” Maria’s face was buried underneath Morrigan’s pillow. The bag of takeout she had brought home after work was cooling on the floor. “I thought I was going to die.”

      “For real?”

      “This isn’t funny. What if he had seen me?” She groaned at the idea. “I would die.”

      “Yoosung doesn’t know what you look like yet.” Morrigan patted the defeated lump that was her little sister. “Relax beneath the beauty of anonymity.”

      “I don’t know if that makes feel better or worse.”

      Their phones chimed in unison and Maria groaned again, pulling the pillow tighter against her face to smother her embarrassment.

      “I am so not going into the chat right now. Nope. No way.”

      “Mmm, if you say so.” Morrigan’s fingers were already flying over her touchscreen. “You’re missing out.”

      “Am not.”

      “Oh, but you totally are.” Her fingers stilled and she smirked down at her sister who was obvious to the wicked train of thought. “Yoosung’s talking about this girl he saw today. Said she was the cutest thing, but she suddenly disappeared. Poof, gone!”

      “Liar.” The pillow shifted and Morrigan’s face fell into a pokerface seconds before Maria peeked out from underneath the plush cushion. “You’re making that up.”

      “Scouts honour.” Morrigan held up her and in a salute.

      Maria squirmed to twist her hips to gain access to her back pocket. The pillow fell off her face as she scooted back to sit up against the armrest. The soft glow of the phone reflected in her eyes as she dug through the chatlogs to find Yoosung’s chatter about that day.

      She scrolled down and down and a suspicion rapidly wheedled its way into her mind and took root. Yoosung had been on and off all day. He had pouted about school, talked about food, and mentioned LOLOL a number of times. She was nearing the bottom of the chat where the most recent messages were still popping up.

 

 **Morrigan:** Wait for it.  
**Morrigan** : Wait.  
**Morrigan** : For.  
**Morrigan** : It.  
**Maria** : I am going to kill you.  
**Morrigan** : And there it is!  
**Yoosung** : ?!  
**Yoosung** : What happened?  
**Morrigan** : Oh, just a wee bit of fun between sisters.  
**Maria** : You said scouts honour!  
**Maria** : You tricked me!  
**Yoosung** : Are you okay, Maria?  
**Morrigan** : Mar-mar, dearest.  
**Morrigan** : My sweet, lovely, baby sister.  
**Morrigan** : When was I ever in the scouts?

 

      Morrigan shrieked with laughter as the discarded pillow was swung into her face. Maria’s own face was red as she took out her embarrassment and frustration on an innocent pillow and Morrigan’s not so innocent face.

 

 **Morrigan** : help!  
 **Morrigan** : feathers are flying;;’  
 **Yoosung** : I don’t know what you did, but you probably had this coming.  
 **Morrigan** : T-t  
 **Morrigan** : If only Sevne were here he would help me  
 **707 has entered the chat.  
** **Morrigan** : !! Sveen. Swben. Seven!  
 **707** : Morricat!  
 **Morrigan** : Help maria keeps hitting me and theres feathers everywhere  
 **Yoosung** : LOLOLOLOL

            

      “You! Are! The! Worst!” The pillow punctuated each word with a whack against Morrigan who was laughing too hard to defend herself from the assault.

      Maria did not let up thee assault until a stray feather flew into Morrigan’s mouth and she choked. The younger woman immediately dropped the pillow, her angry expression morphing quickly into one of horror. Morrigan held up a hand as she coughed back up the feather, pulling it from her mouth with a disgusted look.

      “Death by feather would’ve been the worst thing to put on a death certificate.” She sank into the couch cushions, worn out from being attacked and from laughing hard enough to leave a stitch in her side. “Ahhh. Ahaha, that was too funny.”

      The chat went on without them while the sisters tried to catch their breath. Yoosung explained to Seven that he and Morrigan were just chatting when she got quiet and started loling in the chat, telling him to just wait. Maria had logged on but was quiet for a long while and then the feathers started flying.

      Seven nearly spilled PHD Pepper onto his keyboard from laughing so hard, his knee hitting his desk and sending the thankfully empty can flying. Even without the full story, he was so tickled he nearly had tears in his eyes.

      Then again, he had the pleasure of watching the assault from the CCTV feed and only wished he had a better angle to see it.

 

 **Maria** : I nearly killed her with a feather.  
**Maria** : OOPS  
**Maria** : Maybe now she’ll think twice before tricking me again.  
**Yoosung** : I hope so but…  
**Yoosung** : It seems unlikely.  
**Morrigan** : I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m going to go pray for forgiveness.  
**Maria** : You should pray to me for forgiveness!  
**Morrigan** : Nah.  
**Morrigan** : It was totally worth it.  
**Maria** : I hate you.  
**Morrigan** : !!!  
**Morrigan** : No you don’t. You love meeee.  
**Maria** : Seven!  
**707** : Yes?  
**Maria** : Come here and take your partner in crime home with you.  
**Maria** : Otherwise I might become an only child.  
**Yoosung** : That bad, huh?  
**Maria** : She’s the absolute worst!  
**Yoosung** : Yeah, but…  
**Yoosung** : Are you sure you want Seven to take her?  
**Morrigan** : Seven, come take me!  
**707** : My Morricat! I’ll rescue you!  
**Yoosung** : Can you even imagine what’ll happen?  
**707** : FUN.  
**Morrigan** : Pure, hilarious fun!  
**707** : Just gotta pick which babe car I wanna drive and I can come get her in a jiffy.

 

      Morrigan’s giggles made her lift her eyes from the chat. The purple-haired woman was grinning from ear to ear, mischief twinkling in her eyes. She had been serious when she asked Seven to take her big sister, but now she was rapidly beginning to see why that would be a bad idea.

      A very, very bad idea.

 

 **Maria** : No.  
**Maria** : No no no no! Don’t!!!  
**707** : lolololol  
**Maria** : I didn’t think about that  
**Maria** : Nope you can’t have her  
**Morrigan** : Awww, but Maria~  
**Maria** : Trolls like you in the same room…  
**Yoosung** : I can only imagine. T_T  
**Yoosung** : So scary.


	11. Day 3 - Surreality

      At first the sound went unnoticed. Low and slightly grating, it sounded something like sandpaper scraping against wood. In her half asleep state Morrigan thought it might be a fan kicking on somewhere in the apartment or just one of those strange noises unfamiliar houses made.     

      It persisted, growing louder, and she opened her eyes to see light dancing on the ceiling. She untangled her arm from the burrito she had made of her blankets and reached down, finding her phone on the floor.

      The screen was a mess of binary as it vibrated violently in her hand. There were two options on it to answer or dismiss, but no picture or name attached to what appeared to be a call. The sound was getting louder now, becoming something like a low screech and Morrigan quickly swiped to accept before it could wake Maria.

      “Uh, hello?” She heard static on the other end that was slowly clearing up. “Who is this?”

      “Have you forgotten me already, Angel?” The deep voice made her sit upright, all sleepiness gone in an instant.

      He was not supposed to call her. This was not how the game went.

      “S-Saeran.” She swallowed and tried to resist the urge to look towards the camera. If Seven were still awake he might see the way she reacted to the sudden, unexpected call and wonder what was going on. “Why are you calling me?”

      “Ah, so you do remember.” He sounded pleased by that. “Are the traitors accepting you?”

      “Yes…” Morrigan dragged her hand over her face. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to answer him? “Saeran, you’re not supposed to call me.”

      “I know.” He went quiet for a long moment. Long enough for her to wonder if he had hung up. Did the Savior know he had called her? Somehow she had a feeling that the unstable woman might not approve of the risk.

      “Saeran?”

      “Is it so horrid to hear my voice?” There was something in his voice, a kind of vulnerability that made her ache.

      “No, it’s not.” The truth slipped free and she bit her lip to keep from saying anything else. “Is this safe?”

      “Of course it is.” Saeran’s voice pitched higher, sharper with irritation. “Don’t worry, he won’t find out I’ve contacted you. This will just be a blip on the radar, a call from some old friend he shouldn’t bother to look into.”

      “I didn’t mean that. I meant is it safe for you?” She scooted upwards on the couch, drawing her legs to her chest. “Is this safe for you? Does she know you’re contacting me?”

      “Don’t worry about that.” That was not an answer, but his voice sounded calmer now. Less razer-edged.

      “I can’t help it…” Morrigan sighed and leaned her head against her knee. “Your safety is important to me.”

      “Why?”

      It was a question loaded with unspoken importance. The weight of it curled itself around her, pushing the air from her lungs and making her chest ache. How could she answer the broken man? What could she say to make him understand she did care about his well-being without causing misunderstanding or some kind of strife? She danced on thin ice and with every breath of silence she could feel that ice weakening beneath her feet.

      “You’re important.” Morrigan answered at last, choosing her words carefully. It was complicated and her own reasons were fuzzy thoughts that she was losing hold on. She just knew what she felt. “I hate that you’re not safe.”

      “But I am safe.” Saeran sounded confused.

      “No, not while you’re there.” She was crossing a line and she knew it. She could not, should not be shaking up his already messed up world right. “I can’t explain it right now, but trust me.”

      “I’ll trust you.” His breath sounded heavy. Strained from the weight they carried and the gift he was giving her. “My Angel, please don’t make me regret this.”

      “Be careful. Mint Eye…” Morrigan closed her eyes and stepped over the line, hoping she would not regret it. “They’re not honest.”

      Silence hung heavy over the line, giving Morrigan more than enough time to regret saying as much as she had. Had she messed up and said too much? Was he revealing what she said to one of the cultists or to the Savior herself? Dread filled her, thumping a a beat in tune to her heart.

      “I should go.” His voice was flat. Was that a bad sign? “I have work to do.”

“Wait, before you go…” In for a penny, in for a pound. “Is there any way I can contact you?”

      “You want to… Ahaha.” She had surprised Saeran. “No. It’s best if you don’t.”

“I guess you’re right.”

      “If you want… I’ll contact you again. When it’s safe.” There was a hesitance in the way he spoke she had not heard before. It pulled at something within her.

“I’d like that.” Morrigan closed her eyes and wondered what she was getting herself into. “Stay safe, Saeran. Please.”

      “I will, my Angel.” His voice rumbled over the line and she thought that perhaps he might be smiling.

      The connection closed without either of them saying goodbye. Her mobile buzzed in her hand and the screen returned to normal. True to his word, Saeran had covered his tracks. A female’s name, one she recognised from her high school years, took the most recent spot in her call log.

      No evidence remained on her phone, but she felt like her skin was covered with it. Her hand slid to her hip, feeling the phantom burn of the brand hidden beneath her clothes. Perhaps it was.

#

 

 **Morrigan** : Hey Mar-Mar. Lunch break?  
 **Maria** : Yeah. Decided to pop in and say hi.  
 **Maria** : You feeling alright?  
 **Yoosung** : Heya Maria!  
 **Yoosung** : How are you?  
 **Yoosung** : Was Morrigan feeling badly this morning?  
 **Morrigan** : I’m fine. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  
 **Morrigan** : It’s all good.  
 **Morrigan** : Nothing to worry about.  
 **Maria** : If you say so.  
 **Maria** : And I’m eating right now. Italian sub with extra salami.

 

      Maria picked up her sub and took a bit bite, chewing as she watched the chat. Hye-Jin, who seemed to have taken a shine to her after yesterday’s innocent, chatted cheerfully about some musical she had watched the evening before.

      “You seriously haven’t seen it?” She huffed in obvious disappointment. “You really should look it up. It’s so good.”

      “You really like musicals, don’t you?”

      “Is it that obvious?” Hye-Jin’s cheeks pinkened and she giggled. “Yeah, I do. That’s not a problem, is it? I know I can get kind of exuberant when t comes to them.”

      “Nah, it’s cool. Jaehee’s the same way.” Maria set down her phone to pat Hye-Jin’s arm and cheer her up. “Seriously. Jaehee’s always going on about Zen’s musicals so I don’t mind the fangirling one bit.”

      “No way. Another Zen fan? I have to meet her.” Hye-Jin’s excitement returned even greater than before. “Zen is the best. Sure, he’s not that well known, but he’s so talented!”

 

 **Maria** : My coworker is a Zen fan.  
 **Maria** : I think she and Jaehee will get along very well.  
 **Morrigan** : Which team do you think she bats for?  
 **Yoosung** : Huh?  
 **Maria** : No.  
 **Maria** : We’re not going there.  
 **Maria** : Don’t worry about it. She’s just talking nonsense.  
 **Yoosung** : Oh, okay.  
 **Morrigan** : Fineeee. I won’t play matchmaker with her.  
 **Maria** : Thank you.  
 **Morrigan** : Yoosung, Maria thinks you’re cute!  
 **Morrigan has left the chat.**

 

      “I’m going to kill my sister.” Maria groaned and made a rude gesture at her phone. Hye-Jin had a mouthful of food, but managed to hum questioningly. “She knows I’ve got a little crush on one of our friends. Because I told her I wasn’t going to matchmake you with Zen or Jaehee, she up and tells Yoo that I think he’s cute and zip! She’s offline so I can’t even yell at her about it.”

      “First of all, you know Zen?” Hye-Jin’s dark brown eyes could not get any wider. She dropped her fork and slapped her hands over her mouth, smothering excited squeaks. “I bet he’s really cool, right? Smooth and sweet, right?”

      “He’s pretty cool. Pretty narcissistic, but he’s a good guy.” She hoped slipping up and revealing her friendship with the musical actor to one of his fans would not be a bad thing. “He’s a sweetheart, yeah.”

      “And Jaehee’s friends with him too?” She lowered her hands to her lap, awe clearly written on her face. “She must be someone amazing herself.”

      “Mmm, yeah. She’s cool.” Maria picked her phone back on to see that Yoosung had responded in chat while she talked with Hye-Jin.

 

 **Yoosung** : Aww. Really?  
 **Yoosung** : My heart just skipped a bit!  
 **Yoosung** : Was that the truth?  
 **Yoosung** : I think you’re really cute.  
 **Yoosung** : At least, you seem like you are.  
 **Yoosung** : Maria?  
 **Yoosung** : I’m sorry.  
 **Maria** : Oh no, it’s okay. Hye-Jin distracted me.  
 **Maria** : It’s true though. I do think you’re cute.  
 **Maria**.  <3 ^//^  
 **Yoosung** : Hye-Jin?  
 **Yoosung** : That name seems familiar.  
 **Maria** : She says it’s somewhat common so that’s not surprising.  
 **Maria** : Sorry to run, but lunch break is over. Talk later!  
 **Maria has left the chat.**

  

 

#

 

      Morrigan scribbled down a message on a notepad for her sister, letting her know she was going for a walk. She could have easily texted her, but she felt it was probably best to avoid Maria’s wrath for a while. Maybe Maria will have cooled off by the time she returns home.

      That and she needed some fresh air and a chance to think. Saeran’s call had been on her mind for most of the day and she wanted so badly to mention it to Seven anytime he texted, called, or showed up in chat.

      Could she tell him? Tell him that the hacker had called her? If she did, then what would she say they talked about? If she started talking about the call then she might slip up and reveal the connection between her and Saeran went deeper than hacker and unsuspecting victim.

      She wanted to tell him, but she resisted the urge. She wrestled with it, chewed on it, and swallowed it to bury it deep within her.

      She hated having to hide everything from him. She hated not being able to tell him that she knew Saeran, but yet she was not sure why she felt this way. She chocked it up to the fact that the information could help protect the RFA from Mint Eye if it would not cause Seven to rush into action and put himself into a dangerous situation.

      The television in the window of a store glitched as she walked by. Static and code buzzed loudly, catching her attention. She frowned and moved closer, laying her hand on the glass as she peered into the static.

      “Binary?” Her hand slipped and her head hit the glass, hard enough to rattle her teeth. Pulling back in surprise, she gasped as she watched her hand slide out of the glass.

      Morrigan’s hand was buzzing, emitting a soft green glow as numbers danced over her flesh. No, not over. It was her flesh. Coding that dictated shape, colour, and function. She watched as the light dimmed and faded away, her skin returning to its normal, peachy tone. The glass was solid beneath her fingertips.

      What the hell?

      The ringing of her mobile phone startled her. She swiped to answer without caring who was on the other ed desperately needing the distraction to keep her from losing her mind.

      “Hello! You are our 100th caller!” She used her deepest voice to answer the call. “Congratulations! You’ve won the grand prize!”

      “Is the grand prize my sister impaled on a pike?” Maria’s voice came through with an edge of anger.

      “Ah, no, sorry. The grand prize is an apologetic big sister who wishes to live and is sorry for being a troll.”

      “…Sure you are.” She heard Maria huff. “That was so not cool. I’m going to have to get revenge. You know that, right?”

      “Yeah, yeah, you can try.” Morrigan turned and began walking back in the general direction of the apartment. She had planned on her walk taking longer than this, but it seemed as if Maria was not as upset as she could have been. “I’ve got something to talk to you, but you gotta promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

      “Fine, I promise.”

      “I got a call last night.” She glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to her phone conversation. Strangers walked by, paying no attention to her but her nerves made her hesitant to go into detail. “Ahh, I’m almost home. I’ll call you back, okay?”

      They got off the phone and Morrigan walked back to the apartment with an extra bit of haste in her step. No one looked at her, but she could have sworn she felt eyes watching her. Waiting. Listening. It was all she could do not to shudder or break out into a run.

      She did start jogging when she entered Rika’s apartment complex, rushing to the elevator and not relaxing until she was safely inside the apartment.

      “What’s got your panties twisted?” Maria was waiting for her, stretched out on the sofa with her feet propped up on Morrigan’s bedding. “Something happen?”

      “Yes?” The change in Maria’s body language was instantaneous, immediately turning from relaxed to tense. “No, not now. This morning. I’m just paranoid right now.”

      “Oh.” She slowly relaxed back onto the couch. “What happened this morning? Who called you?”

      “Saeran did.” Morrigan peered towards the hallway from beneath her eyelashes. She was too exposed here. She left the doorway and moved through the living room to one of the outside windows. Another glance confirmed she was out of sight of the little security camera in the hallway. “It… It wasn’t a business call, I think.”

      “What the hell.” Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling and she huffed. “What was he thinking?”

      “I don’t know. Maybe he missed me?” She shrugged and turned to the window to study the view. “He didn’t have her permission to call. He didn’t say as much, but I knew it.”

      “Is this a good thing? This… attachment he has to you?”

      “I don’t know yet. We’ll see…” Morrigan’s eyes closed and she rubbed her eyelids gently to ease the rising headache. “I had to give you the heads up in case he contacted me again… And because I had to tell someone. I can’t tell you how much I hate having to hide this from Seven.”

      “Because Saeran’s the hacker.”

      “That’s only part of it. Saeran’s much more than that.” That feeling was so strong, even if the explanation behind it was beyond her grasp right now. “It’s so important, but… Now’s not the time for him to find out.”

      “Fine, then we keep it quiet.” Maria shifted on the couch, pulling herself upright. “That all?”

      “Well, no.” Morrigan’s hand touched the glass. It was cold and solid against her flesh. “I think I might be losing my mind… But I think I went through a window while I was out.”

      “Buildings have doors for a reason.”

      “I’m being serious right now.” She turned and held out her hand, the same one that had gone through the storefront’s window. “The televisions were glitching and I just… phased through the window.”

      “You’re losing it.” Maria deadpanned. “You’ve spent too much time talking with Seven. Or maybe it’s the lack of sleep. I hear that does damage to brain cells.”

      “My hand turned to binary!” She threw the proverbial towel in. “Whatever, laugh at me all you want. I don’t care, but this weird phasing thing isn’t a laughing matter. Either it really happened or I’m going crazy. Either way, it poses a problem for us.”


	12. Day 4 - Meow

"Why didn't you tell me this was your work uniform? I would've come to help out sooner." Morrigan said as she smoothed down her white apron over the skirt of her uniform. She was the fortunate one. Her uniform was a black button up shirt with a lacy white collar. The black skirt flared out to allow the lacy white petticoat to peek out over knee-high stockings.

Maria was the unfortunate one. Where Morrigan's uniform was black, hers was pink. Manager Yi had insisted on her wearing pink, gushing over how adorable it would look with her exotic skin.

Mostly Maria felt like a wad of overly girly bubblegum.

The twitching white cat ears atop their heads and fluffy white tails hooked to the back of their skirts were just icing on the cake. Maria was miserable and Morrigan was having the time of her life. Not only did she love the cat maid costume, but Maria hated it. It was too good. The perfect revenge and she did not have to do a thing to make it happen.

Of course, she would be sure to take pictures later. There was no way she was ever going to let her sister live this down.

"It's only for a week." Morrigan curved her hands into paws and batted at her sister's hair. The ears on top of the darker skinned woman's head flatted. The ears and tail were supposed to be top of the line animatronics made to appear realistic and react to the emotions of the wearer. Another thing Morrigan loved that Maria hated. "Just imagine all the tips you'll get!"

"You're having far too much fun with this."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She pursed her lips and spun to look at herself in the floor length mirror installed in the employee's locker room. "Do you think I could talk Manager Yi into letting me keep this?"

"What would you do with a cat maid costume?" As soon as Maria spoke the question she regretted it. "Nevermind. I don't want to know. Please, leave me in the dark."

"Don't worry. I won't sully your innocent mind." Morrigan blew her reflection a playful kiss and laughed at the disgruntled expression on Maria's face. "Ahh, don't frown so much. You'll get wrinkles."

"Shut up." Maria glanced towards the clock and sighed. "Time to get started. Come on, I'll show you the ropes. Hopefully we'll have a slow day..."

 

 #

 

"I am so, so sorry." Maria's voice was filled with concern as she followed her older sister to the back. The lunch rush had taken a lot out of the older woman, draining a lot of the bounce out of her step. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a minute." Her smile was shaky and her cat ears twitched, still flattened by her nerves. "Did you ask the manager to take me off the floor?"

"I did." Maria had seen the way the crowd wore down on her and felt miserable for asking her to step in. If she had known they would end up so swamped she would have insisted on just working three times as hard to make up for the cafe being short staffed instead of asking Morrigan to help.

It had gotten pretty bad out there before Maria asked Manager Yi to move Morrigan away from the crowds. Although no one had touched her aside from a few young kids who thought her ears and tail were real, Morrigan had taken on that glassy, thousand yard stare that they learned was a prelude to her having a panic attack. Worried that someone might bump into her and trigger it, Maria had intervened.

"It should stay dead for a while so you can breathe and try to relax."

"Did I ever tell you that you're the best sister in the world?"

"Ah, don't get sentimental on me now." Maria ducked her head bashfully and poked at her bowl of pasta. "It's my fault you're in this mess."

"Nah, I could've said no. It was my choice." She patted her on the back before returning her gaze to the phone in her hand. "Chat's quiet. Looks like we missed everyone."

They had. Jaehee and Jumin had been on sometime around the start of the lunch hour. The pair of workaholics did not stick around long, chatting a bit while waiting for someone else to get on, until eventually leaving to return to their stacks of paperwork and project planning. Zen had been on earlier than that. The musical actor had talked about an interview he was preparing for and waxed poetic about how he had to dress up, but could not overdo it so much they would be blinded by his beauty.

Yoosung and Seven, the favourite of the sisters, had not been on since the early morning hours. This was not so unusual since Yoosung was a college student and a LOLOL addict and Seven, well, Seven was almost always busy with his work from the agency.

"Do you think Seven's got an alarm set up for cat related news?" Morrigan's voice started Maria out of her thoughts. She cast a wide-eyed look towards the older woman, absentmindedly noticing that she had only eaten about half of her small lunch.

"It sounds like something he'd have." She frowned. "You don't think..."

"I'm not thinking anything." Morrigan shrugged. "I just wouldn't be surprised if he heard about the cat maid promotion going on here and tried convincing Jumin to open up a permanent cat maid cafe."

"Jaehee would keel over." Maria shook her head in sympathy for the overworked assistant. "I don't care how much Jumin pays her, the poor woman needs a vacation."

"Like minds." Morrigan tapped herself in the temple to show she agreed. "Baehee's such a champ to deal with Mr. Trust Fund Kid all the time. I'd have gone postal already if I were in her sensible shoes."

The sisters finished up their meals, bagged the leftovers, and stashed them away in the fridge designated for employee use. While waiting for Morrigan to finish freshening up in the bathroom, which meant reapplying her lipstick and double-checking that her winged eyeliner was holding up, Maria opened up the RFA chat to leave a few messages for the group.

 

**Maria:** Halfway through the work day. Yay!

**Maria** : I'm so tireeeed.

**Maria** : I dragged Morri along with me since we needed help.

**Maria** : So we won't be able to get on until afterwards.

**Maria** : Wish us luck. Gotta get back into the fray.

 

There was only one customer in the front, an elderly woman who liked coming in for tea and and cookies, so the sisters took their time finishing up the cleanup from the lunch. The waitresses they relieved had shot then grateful looks before trudging into the back to prop up their legs and relax for a while.

"Miss?"

"Yes?" Maria rushed to the elderly woman's table with a smile on her face. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh yes, thank you miss." The customer offered her the plate littered with cookie crumbs. "Could you please get me some more, if it's not too much trouble?"

"Sure. It's no trouble at all." She accepted the plate and headed towards the back. The elderly woman was a regular and never posed any sort of trouble. Rumour had it she was related to Manager Yi, but no one knew for sure.

With Maria gone, it was left to Morrigan to handle any guests that entered and after a minute the bell above the door chimed.

"I'll be with you in just a moment!" She greeted the newcomers cheerfully as she finished wiping down the bar. "Just sit wherever you like."

"Cool. No rush." The voice answering her sounded familiar. Her dishrag stilled and she lifted her eyes nervously to see a pair of familiar faces settling down at one of the tables. Golden eyes behind glasses so gaudy they were kind of cool and bright red hair. Vibrant amethyst eyes framed by blond hair, complete with clips to help keep it out of his face.

Of all the places the pair could choose for a late lunch in the city, they had to waltz in the cafe on the one day Morrigan was working. She ducked her head and scrubbed harder at an already clean spot, heat filling her face. Did the gods have it in for her?

"A cat maid cafe, really?" Yoosung shot Seven a glare, blush already rising to his cheeks. Seven grinned at him, but the expression became slackjawed when he looked over to the bar and he spotted the waitress who had greeted him.

"I-it has really good reviews and this is the first day of a limited promotion. I had to come." He swallowed thickly as his face grew red from ear to ear. He tore his eyes away from Morrigan. "If I had known they had such cute waitresses I would've come sooner."

As if Morrigan's blush could go any deeper, he had to go say something like that. She heaved a sigh and abandoned the already clean bartop. She had to play the role of waitress with Maria gone and thought that perhaps she would get a wee bit of fun out of it in the meantime.

Although, really, she could not wait to see Maria combust when she left the kitchen and saw who their customers were.

"Welcome to Yi's cafe, meowsters." Morrigan purred a greeting as she approached her table. Yoosung offered her a small snile and Seven avoided looking directly at her. His golden eyes moved over her, pausing at her tail and ears. "How may I be of service?"

"I could use a moment..." Yoosung picked up his menu, his voice apologetic. "But can I get a sweet tea?"

"Sure." She jotted that down before laying her hand on the table and leaning in closer to Seven, watching his blush deepen. "And you, handsome?"

"Are you on the menu, by any chance?" His flirtatious words threw her for a loop. "I have to say, you wear that uniform very well. You look purrfect."

Now she really, really wanted to keep the uniform.

"Ahh, you flatter me." Morrigan bit her lip and adverted her eyes. Somehow he had stolen control right from underneath her. Rude, much! Sucking in some air and steeling her nerves, she upped her game. "Sorry, but I'm not on the menu. I might make an except for a meowster has handsome as you are."

_Take that, you too-gorgeous-for-your-own-good-hacker-god._

"Ahh, straight to the heart! Is this love at first sight?" He dramatical thumped his hand over his chest, earning a confused look from Yoosung. The blond had seen his friend be playful and teasing, but if he did not know any better he would think that Seven really did have a thing for the pretty waitress.

"Purrhaps it is." She rolled her R and winked playfully at him. "Your order?"

"A rice omelette." He gave her a smile that made her heart stop in her chest. "With extra sauce, if you can."

"Excellent choice. I'll have that out to you right away." She winked playfully and turned to Yoosung, taking the break from the flirting to catch her breath. "Have you decided yet?"

"Uh, no, sorry." He offered her a bashful smile.

"That's quite alright. I'll go take your friend's order in." Morrigan glanced at Seven. She was positive Seven knew who she was. He had seen their photos when he looked into her and her sister, but Yoosung appeared to be completely oblivious. This would be fun. "I'll send my coworker out to help you. Will that be alright?"

"Of course. Thanks, miss." Yoosung gave her a friendly smile before he returned his attention to the menu.

Morrigan left the table, bouncing towards the door. She paused, feeling Seven's eyes following her and turned. He blushed at being caught and she grinned before blowing him a kiss.

His face nearly matched his hair.

 

#

 

That dirty little prankster. Seven watched her disappear into the kitchen and felt his heart well up with admiration. She was good, real good. He shifted to find a more comfortable position in his chair, wondering what he would have to do to win their little game.

"Do you know her?" Yoosung's voice drew his eyes away from the door. The gamer had closed his menu and had been watching him for about a minute now. Amusement made his eyes glitter to see Seven flirting with someone that was not a cat or a bag of chips.

Well, scratch the cat part, but she was still a girl.

"I do, I do. She's my precious Neferkitty." The answer gave very little away and only made Yoosung's curiosity grow. "I didn't know she worked here."

"Neferkitty?"

"It's a nickname."

"I figured." Yoosung tapped his finger against the menu, trying to figure out what was going through Seven's head. "What gives? I don't think I've ever seen you act like this around anyone."

"Ahh, you're too young to understand." Seven reached over and pinched his cheeks, only to have his hand slapped away. "One day you'll meet a special kitty of your own and then you'll get it."

"I don't have a cat fetish like you do." He huffed in irritation and shook his head. "Stop talking to me like I'm a kid. You're not that much older than I am."

The kitchen door opened and out and a familiar woman in pink slipped out. The grin that spread across Seven's face was positively wicked a he lowered his eyes to a now very concerned looking Yoosung.

"Don't want to be treated like a kid than act like a man." He nodded towards the waitress that was approaching. "Here's another cute one. Go ahead and flirt."

"I don't flirt with just anyone." It would be more accurate to say that he did not flirt with anyone. In his younger years he had been so focused on studying that he never flirted. When girls flirted with them he either never noticed or politely turned him down. As much as he wanted a girlfriend now, he did not have it in him to just flirt with some stranger.

"Sure, sure."

"Welcome to Yi's cafe." Maria greeted them, her eyes widening as she finally got a look at them. Morrigan had been blushing like a tomato and grinning ear to ear and now she knew why. "Excuse me for a moment."

She rushed off, fully intending to strangle her older sister, and completely missed the way Yoosung's head turned to follow her out.

"So... You don't flirt with just anyone, right?" Seven asked with a grin that could rival the cheshire cat's.

 

#

 

"You're behind this, I just know it!" Maria planted her hands on her hips and gave Morrigan her most vicious glare. "You texted him or something, didn't you?"

"Wish I could say I'm guilty, but in this case I'm really not." She held up both hands. "I'm innocent this time."

"I can't believe it. You're never innocent."

"You wound me, Mar-Mar." She fished her phone out of her apron pocket and handed it over. The younger sister took it and went through the chat and texts, seeing nothing that indicated she had contacted Seven that day.

"Well, I'll be damned." Maria handed the phone back. "I might kill you anyways. A preemptive murder."

"If it's any consolation I don't think seven has told Yoosung's who we are." Morrigan offered helpfully. She almost, key word being almost, felt bad for her little sister's predicament. Maria could be painfully shy, especially around someone she was interested in.

"Yeah, well..." Maria squeezed her eyes shut and wished that she would wake up back at the apartment and this was just some weird dream. She peeked one eye open to see Morrigans's face. No such luck. "Do I have to go out there?"

"Yup!" She gave her a push towards the door. "No mercy!"

"You are the worst." With morrigan hot on her heels and insistently shoving her forward she had no choice but to give in. Oh, she would somehow make her pay for this.

"Hello again!" Seven called out to them as soon as the kitchen door swung shut behind them. Yoosung turned in his chair and gave them a small wave, sending Maria backpedaling into a very amused Morrigan. "My friends ready to order."

"Of course." Maria swallowed down her nerves and hurried forward, cheeks blazing red with heat. She could not bring herself to meet Yoosung's questioning gaze. He was even cuter in person. "W-what'll it be?"

"Are you okay?" The concern in his voice made her heart do funny little tricks.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay." She forced herself to meet his gaze and smile.

"Okay, then I'll have a club sandwich, if that's not too much trouble." He blushed at the sight of her smile and looked away. He had thought Neferkitty was pretty cute, but the blushing woman reminded him of caramel wrapped up in pink. If he were smooth and confident like Zen he could have made a charming joke about that, but all he could do was blush and try not to make a fool of himself. "Do you know Seven too?"

"Too?" Morrigan slipped around the table and draped her arm around Seven. "Ahh, have you revealed our secret love affair to your friend already?"

"All but the intimate details." He joked as he reached up and tickled her ribs. "And yes, I know her too, though not as well."

"Well, any friend of Seven's is a friend of mine! I think." Yoosung offered Maria a shy smile and offered her his hand. She accepted it and gave it a light shake, trying not to focus too much on how warm his hand felt in hers. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"L-likewise." Realising she still had his hand in hers she squeaked and pulled it back with a wish that the floor would open up and swallow her to save her from the embarrassment. "I'll, uh, go put your order in. If you need anything, just ask Neferkitty."

"She's cute, but not as cute as you." Seven tickled Morrigan's side again to hear her giggle. "We should totally take some selfies. I've got some friends who would die to see you two. Plus it'd offer proof that Yoosung does get out of the house every now and then."

"She's going to kill me for this, but let's do it." Morrigan leaned in close, her mouth close enough to his ear for him to feel her breath. "Are we going to keep playing this game or are you going to tell him?"

"Tell me what?"

"Oh ho ho. You'll find out." The grin on Seven's face was downright diabolical. "So, what do you think of Ms Kitty? Cute, huh?"

"Y-yeah." Yoosung squirmed under the intensity of the pair's look. What did they know that he did not? "She's really cute."

"Good to know. You should tell Maria that as soon as she returns." Morrigan let her sister's name slip and saw Yoosung's eyes widened.

"Maria? We have a friend with the same name. What are the chances?"

"Yeah, what are the chances." Seven and Morrigan shared a look, wondering how in the world they were friend with someone so innocent.

"Since she's taking her sweet time..." Morrigan removed herself from Seven, already missing the warmth and sweet scent of him, and plopped down in a chair. She scooted in, close enough for her leg to brush against Seven's. "You boys been having a good day?"

"Y-yeah." The hacker replied, swallowing nervously at the contact. He kept his eyes trained above the table, doing his best to resist to look down. His heart did a somersault and his blood chose not to cooperate with him, making him carefully shift again in his seat.

"That's good to hear." Morrigan's smile was innocent, but the warm hand that landed on Seven's knee was downright devious. He stiffened and shot her a surprised look. The girl was playing dirty. "Got any plans for tonight?"

A long cold shower and a chance to mourn his life choices? A visit to the church to confess his sins?

"Work." Seven shrugged apologetically and decided to fight fire with fire. His hand slipped beneath the table, fingers running over Morrigan's hand before coming to rest on her thigh. He could feel the heat of her through the leggings. Without meaning to, he shifted his hand a bit higher, feeling flesh where the thigh high ended. "What can I say? I'm a slave."

"A well paid one." Yoosung blinked at him, wondering why they both sat so stiffly and avoided looking at each other. He was definitely missing something here. "I've got a dungeon to grind through."

"Kinky." Morrigan's deadpanned response turned Yoosung a shade of red to rival Seven's hair. Her gaze slid past them and she brightened, waving at Maria who had excited the back with their meals. "Speaking of someone who likes a good dungeon grind..."

"Slick." Seven nearly choked on his laughter and gave Morrigan's though an affectionate squeeze. "I don't think I've ever seen Yoosung turn so red."

"Now you don't know how slick I am yet." She dug her nails lightly into his leg through the fabric of his jeans and his pulse jumped. "Maybe you'll find out later."

She removed his hand and he wondered how to breathe. He thought his body knew how to do it, but apparently it had forgotten in between the syllables of the innuendo practically purred into his ear. He had been bested. She deserved the crown of trollmaster, for now.

"Ehh, I don't even want to know what's going on here." Maria grumbled as she set down the plates and drinks in front of them. "Morri, Hye-Jin and Hwan will be here soon to take over so we have to start wrapping things up in back."

"Morri..." Yoosung looked between Maria and Morrigan's faces, realisation slowly dawning on him. He looked to Seven who was grinning like the cat that caught the canary. "You knew! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Where would the fun of that be?"

"Ahhh, I'm so embarrassed." He covered is face with his hands. "This isn't how I wanted to meet you two."

"It's alright." Maria laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "If it helps any, Morrigan blindsided me completely with it."

"Meh, you love me." Morrigan stuck her tongue out at Maria, only to receive a glare in response. "Ahh, I'm hurt!"

"You're not hurt yet." Maria grumbled in promise before turning back to Yoosung, her gaze softening to see he was finally coming out from beneath his hands. "It's really great to meet you."

"Y-You too." He smiled shyly at her and her heart jumped in her throat. How could he be so cute? Life was really unfair.

"Before you two go..." Seven pulled his phone out of his pocket and waved it at them. "Photo-op!"

By the time Morrigan and Maria returned home with a bag of leftovers from lunch and another bag holding the cat maid uniforms Manager Yi insisted they keep, they were smiling happily and now had new wallpapers on them phone of them and their favourite RFA member.

"So, do you still hate me?" Morrigan asked as they kicked off their shoes in the privacy of Rika's apartment.

"Nope." Maria shot her a smile, holding her phone close to her chest. She would cherish the picture and the memory of Yoosung's warm smile for the rest of her days. "But I'm still going to kill you. You could've at least warned me!"

 


	13. Glitch - Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #SorryNotSorry
> 
> There's some naughtiness adult. Mature stuff. You can't see, but I'm waggling my eyebrows at the screen.
> 
> Welcome to the second Glitch chapter!
> 
> Glitches are what they sound like. Something going weird with the game.   
> They may or may not be canon to the story.  
> If you have an idea for a Glitch, feel free to suggest something.   
> Who knows! You might see it popping up in the future.

     Maria floated in a sea of numbers, cradled and soothed by the soft buzzing. It trailed up along her body and through her hair to trace the curve of her furry, pointed ears.

     Wait. Furry ears?

     The world solidified around her, taking the shape of an unfamiliar bedroom. The lights were off, but the room was lit by the lights of what sounded like a game. Turning her head to the side, she could see a desktop computer. The screen showed the LOLOL logo above the log in button.

     “What the hell…” Maria sat up suddenly. Clearing her throat, she raised it and glared at the door. “Morrigan, I’m going to kill you. This isn’t funny!”

     There was no responding giggles. Colour drained from her face at the implication that Morrigan was not on the other side of the door, grinning like a madwoman at some weird prank. If Morrigan was not behind this, who was?

     “Hmm, what’s wrong?” The voice that spoke to her was close and husky with sleep. She felt warm fingers move against her bare side and the bed shift as he wrapped himself around her, pressing a kiss against her shoulder.

     “Y-Yoosung?” She squeaked and looked down, seeing his fingers pale in contrast against her skin. She was naked and in bed with a sleepy Yoosung. What in the ever-loving hell was going on?

     “Come back to bed. I’m cold.” He tugged her lightly and she fell back onto the pillow. Pleased, he snuggled closer, his hand siding up to stroke her cat ears. Her eyes drifted closed as the soothing sensation moved through her body.

     “What’s going on?” She tried to be upset, tried to will herself to move away from his embrace and get dressed, but it felt so nice.

     “Hmmm, you don’t want my attention?” He shifted, his arm sliding down to her waist as he leaned over her. “Ahh, your blush is so cute!”

     “Yoosung!”

     “Maria~!” He drew out her name as he leaned in close, fingers shifting her hip. A blush filled his cheeks. “Can I kiss you again?”

     “Again?!”

     “Again and again.” His hand drew up along her side and he cupped her cheek. She blinked up at him, shocked as he slowly lowered her lips to hers. He took his time, lips moving against hers, drawing the breath from her lungs and sending liquid heat pooling through her body.

     His lips moved away, gently brushing kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Halfway draped over her, the warmth and weight of him settled over her his hand followed the path forged by his lips, cupping her breast seconds before he closed his mouth around her nipple.

     Her blush deepened as he swirled his tongue over her nipple, causing it to harden. He switched to the other one, lavishing it with the same slow attention while his. His hand moved up, brushing fingers over her nipple and sending waves of pleasure through her body.

     “So cute…” He looked up at her, eyes dark with desire as he gave her breast another kiss. His fingers slid down over her body, drawing shapes into her flesh. “Can I kiss you some more?”

     Breathless, Maria could little more than squeak and nod. He smiled, wide and excited, and leaned up to kiss her lips. His lips moved her hers, sloppy now in his rush, but it pulled sighs of pleasure from her lips. By the time his lips made it between her thighs, she was a trembling mess beneath him.

     No longer rushed, he began to take his time. With Yoosung’s purple eyes locked on he flushed face and his mouth hot against her thighs. He explored her flesh, kissing and nipping along her thighs. Her placed a kiss against her clit, flicking his tongue against it and sending her back arching and pulling low, pleading moan from deep within her.

     Encouraged by her reaction, Yoosung gripped her hips and attacked her with heightened energy. His tongue slid up and down her moist slit and he groaned at the sweet taste of her. He nibbled, suckled, and stroked her with her tongue until she babbled nonsense and her fingers tangled in her hair.

     Her eyes met his. Yoosung’s face was flushed, cheeks smeared with her juice, but she could feel him smile against her. His tongue flicked out, meeting her clit as he released her hip to slid a finger over her heat. He pulled back and licked his lips as she slid one finger in.

     “Is this good?” He sounded hesitant although he could feel the result of her efforts. She was soaked and hot and tight around his finger and her moans were music to his ears. He experimentally moved his finger, stroking her heat and was rewarded with breathless pleading.

     Yoosung pumped his finger in and out slow and patient. She squirmed and tightened, her pleasure heightening, but not yet enough. He slid in a second finger and scissored them within her, listening as her voice took on a new pitch.

     “That’s it.” His voice was low with desire as he continued to pump her with her fingers. Unable to resist he lowered his mouth again, tongue flicking against her wetness and sliding up to circle her clit. He felt her body tense and sucked on the tiny bud of nerves, pumping harder to push her past the precipice.

     “Y-Yoosung.” Hearing her groan his name made him groan. His erection throbbed, so hard it was almost painful, but he wanted to please her first. He needed it.

     So he kept working his fingers in and out of her, scissoring and curling them to make her tremble with pleasure. Her hips moved to meet his hand, grinding against his face. He worked his mouth against her clit, worshipping it with his lips and tongue, the smell of her desire fuelling him further.

     When she came she covered her mouth with her hands, muffling the loud sound that escaped her throat. He rode her through the orgasm until she was a panting mess on the bed. Pulling back he licked licked his lips and smiled down at her.

     “You’re beautiful, Maria.” The world around them was breaking apart, spiralling into binary. Desperate to keep him close she reached for him, pulling his body flush against hers and kissing him hard. He kissed her back, rocking his hips against her overly-sensitive slickness and they moaned together.

     But the binary claimed them both anyway.

 

#

 

     “Where the fuck am I?” Morrigan remembered drifting off on the couch, phone clutched in one hand, and dressed in a comfortable t-shirt and shorts. Somehow she ended up standing in the middle of a messy, darkened room coloured in red, yellow, and black. It was dim, the light of many computers flashing over the walls, and something soft brushed her leg.

     She twisted to look behind her and saw a fluffy white tail. An experimental tug brought her a rush of pain. It was attached. She had a freaking tail attached to her spine. Feeling her head she found a matching set of ears jutting out of her hair.

     She was a real cat girl, in a maid outfit, in a place that could only belong to one person.

     “Uh… Seven?”

     “Morrigan.” Seven’s voice was deep and came from a darkened corner of the room. He stood in a doorway and held a hand out. “Come here.”

     Unable to resist, she skirted her way past empty bags of Honey Buddha chips and discarded clothes. As soon as she was close, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her against him to bury his face into her neck. He held her like that, nuzzling her neck as his hands ran up and down her back.

     “What’s going on?” She fought back the shiver that raced down her spine as his mouth opened and he grazed her pounding pulse with his teeth.

     “Shhh. My beautiful kitty, my stars, my love…” He nibbled on her neck and pulled her tighter against him. He bit her a bit harder and chuckled at the low moan that escaped her. He pulled back and moved his arms, sweeping her off her feet. She squealed, throwing her arms around his neck, afraid that she would fall.

     “S-Seven?” She squeaked when he slid his hand beneath her skirt to squeeze her real. Burying her face against him she bit her lip and tried not to freak out as he walked with her.

     He dropped her onto a bed and she saw stars. Literal glow in the dark stars affixed to the ceiling. Her view was blocked as he crawled onto the bed after her, his mouth descending on hers with brushing need. He nudged her legs apart, sliding a hand beneath her thighs to cup her intimately.

     Blood rushed through her body in answer and she gasped. His tongue slid inside of her mouth, claiming her, tasting her, and dominating her in one fell swoop. His mouth was sin and she moaned as his fingers rubbed her through her panties which dampened with her desire.

     “It’s okay like this…” He muttered against her lips, catching her lower lip between with his teeth. He released her and his kiss gentled, soothing her abused lips. “Isn’t it?”

     “Yes,” She was not sure what he meant, but she did not care. “This is okay.”

     “At least I can have this much.” He pressed his finger against her, sliding against the damp fabric to find her clit. “Have you, have your love…”

     His mouth went to her neck again, suckling and kissing marks into her as his fingers found the waist of her panties and slid past them to stroke her directly. Seven groaned at her slick, the sound vibrating her throat. His fingers hesitated, resting against her heat as he shook with desire.

     “Seven, please.” She rolled her hips against his hand, needing the stimulation of his touch.

     “Yes, my precious kitty?” Seven purred against her neck, tapping a finger against her.

     “You fucking tease.” One hand went to his hair, tangling in the soft, red mess while the other slipped between them to rub at the bulge hardening against her thigh. His breath hitched and he groaned low in his throat as he ground into her touch. “You know what I want. Please, touch me.”

     “Is this what you want?” He slid two fingers into her, curling them upwards and she arched in pleasure. His teeth sunk into her throat hard enough to ache, heightening the pleasure coursing through her veins. “Tell me you want this as much as I do.”

     “I want this.” She closed her eyes and rocked her hips against him, forcing the pumping stimulation she so desperately needed. She was so turned on, her body a livewire, and she needed more. She gave his bulge a light squeeze, siding her fingers up to find the waistband of his pants and deftly undoing the button. With that out of the way, she found it easy to wiggle her hand past the denim and cotton boxers to wrap her hand around his trapped erection.

     That goaded him into action and he began to pump his fingers in and out of her, matching the pace she used to stroke him. Their lips breath, quickening breath mingling as they worked each other. They kept it slow, basking in the mutual pleasure as their lips met and tongues danced.

     “Saeyoung.” It left her lips in a whisper, stilling Seven’s movement. Golden eyes filled with emotion met hers and his swollen lips trembled. She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. “Saeyoung~.”

     “Only in my dreams.” His expression bordered on happy and sorrowful. With his lips swollen from their kisses and cheeks flushed with pleasure, Morrigan thought he never looked more handsome. He slid his fingers out before thrusting in forcefully, his thumb finding her clit and tapping against it.

      _Tap tap, pause. Tap, swirl, tap tap, swirl swirl swirl, tap tap tap, swirl tap pause. Swirl, tap, swirl swirl, swirl swirl swirl, tap tap swirl._

     Her heart raced harder and she pumped him faster, her fingers mimicking his fingers and repeating the pattern back to him. He kissed her again, drinking in her moans and pouring his own into her.

     Their pace quicken, tapping and swirling the pattern faster into each others flesh. Pumping, stroking, as their bodies tightened with tension. He kissed her again, lips trailing down her jaw and back to her neck, biting her again and again as they neared their release.

     “Don’t hold back.” Seven’s voice was so deep and her throat ached from the marks he planted into it. Each spike of pain sunk deeper into her, heightening all other sensations. He hit again and the tension broke and she cried out, arching against him. His hips stuttered and his cock twitched in her hand, his seed spilling hot over her fingertips. His movements slowed, gently bringing her back down to earth with lazy pumps until they both stilled.

     He nuzzled her neck, kissing her gently as binary crawled over the stars above his head. She sighed and freed her hand from his pants, wiping it off on the bed before wrapping her arms around him. The world slipped away and soon it claimed them.

     Dreams could only last so long before they had to wake up.


	14. Day 5 - Traces

      Morrigan was already in the shower by the time Maria woke up. She stared up at the ceiling replaying the vivid dream in her mind and blushed deeply. She had never had a dream like that before and her body still felt warm from it.

      She needed a shower. A chilly one.

She rolled out of bed and collected clothes to change into. Making her way down the hall she hit her fist against the bathroom door.

      “Gimme a minute!” Morrigan shouted over the spray of the water. “I’m almost done!”

      “Since when do you shower first thing in the morning, you owl!” Maria kicked the door and stepped back to lean against the wall, waiting for her sister to finish. Again her mind drifted to the dream and she hid her face in her clean clothes. Her hormones were high and she felt kind of floaty.

      The shower shut off and a minute later Morrigan opened the door, dressed for the day and running a brush through her long hair. Maria opened her mouth to say something, but instead stood there with her mouth open like some kind of fish. Angry red and purple marks littered Morrigan’s throat complete with what appeared to be indentations shaped like… teeth?

      “What the hell happened to you?”

      “What are you…” Her hand went up to her neck and colour filled her face. She gaped for a minute before finding her words. “I, uh, had a really vivid dream?”

      A vivid dream that left marks?

      “Wait here.” Maria shoved past her and raced into the bathroom. She tugged down her sleep pants and panties and felt between her legs. Shock and embarrassment filled her to the brim when she felt evidence that her dream was not exactly just a figment of her imagination. At the very least it was a wet dream, but the weird binary and the sight of Morrigan’s neck made her question that.

      She righted her clothes and washed her hands before opening the door.

      “So… You and Seven got down and dirty in your dream?” Maria knew she had guessed correctly when Morrigan bashfully covered her neck with a hand and looked away. “Right. I’m going to go shower and then we’re going to sit down and talk. Something very, very strange is going on here.”

      Morrigan was curled up on the couch, blanket pulled up to her neck and eyes darting towards the hallway every couple of seconds. Maria paused and frowned, following her sister’s gaze to see something small in the upper corner of the hallway.

      “Morri… When were you going to tell me there was a camera here?”

      “Um… Eventually?” The ice in her sister’s voice made her draw the blanket tighter around herself. “It’s really nothing to worry about. Our privacy is just fine and dandy.”

      “Then why do you keep looking this way?” Maria turned away from the camera and planted her hands on her hips. “Has someone been watching us?”

      “Umm… yes.” She ducked her head and nodded towards the couch. “It’s okay. He’s only looking out for our well-being. And he doesn’t know I know so let’s keep it that way for now.”

      “How do you even know?”

“I just do.” Morrigan shrugged. “If I say ‘eye’ what do you think of.”

      “I think of Yoosung and V.” Maria frowned as she moved towards the couch, sinking down beside her. “So we just… know things.”

      “Side effect of the whole Angel thing, I guess.” Morrigan settled more comfortable into the couch. “So, strange. What strangeness are you talking about this time? Cause you totally blew off the hand and window thing.”

      “When your hand went through the window… Was there binary by any chance?” Maria saw Morrigan nod and her stomach flipped. “And your dream last night?”

      “Yeah. There was binary.” And morse-code, but that was personal.

      “Okay. So. That’s a thing.” The younger woman bit the inside of her cheek as she swallowed the new information, remembering the binary that had marked her dream. “I, uh, I had a dream last night too.”

      “Yoosung?” Morrigan raised an eyebrow, a smirk gracing her cheeks. Maria did not need to answer her for the older woman to know the truth. The blush staining her cheeks was evidence enough. “You had a dirty dream with Yoosung! Oh my goddess, you hussy!”

      “Takes one to know one!” Maria shot a pointed look towards Morrigan’s neck. “Look what that hacker did to you!”

      “I know. They’ll take forever to heal.” She groaned and dropped her head to her knees. “I don’t have time for that. They won’t be healed before… Before something.”

      “Before what?”

      “I don’t know. I’ve just got a feeling something’s coming and I really don’t want to explain the hickeys and…” Her eyes widened and her head shot up. “Um, Maria… The dreams… They happened right?”

      “Of course they did. Do I need to bring you a mirror and show you the evidence?” Maria crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. “What are you getting at?”

      “If, um, if they were real to us with all the weird binary stuff…” She swallowed and her mint eyes darted to the camera again. “Do you think it was real to them too?”

      “And I’m dead.” Maria hid her face in her hands and just made strange noises for a while to vent the mess of emotions cluttering her mind.

      “You sound like a dying dinosaur.” Morrigan commented dryly. “It’s very useful and productive. Quit your day job and monetise that.”

      “You’d know what a dying dinosaur would sound like, old lady.” Maria shot back from beneath the shield of her hands.

      “Oooh, ouch. I felt that in all of my wrinkles.” She laughed but it faded away quickly. “Okay, but for real. What do we do?”

      “We pretend like nothing happened. Act like it was a dream and if they experienced it too, we let them think it was just a dream.” There was nothing else they could do. If it was only on their side, then mentioning it would be embarrassing as hell. If the men had experienced the dream as well, then that would leave to a lot of questions that neither woman knew the answer to.

      “Right. Pretend nothing happened. I can do that.” Morrigan nodded. “Simple. Easy as pie.”

      “Also, go ice your neck. See if that helps the whole hickey situation.” Maria tapped her own neck. “You have that big collar, don’t you? Wear that until we can buy some cover up.”

“Ahh, my baby sister.” Morrigan clasped her hands together, the blanket falling to her shoulders. “So wise for her young, innocent age!”

      “The blanket…”

“Ah, shit.” Morrigan tugged it back up and smiled gratefully. “What would I do without you?”

      “Probably get jailed or end up having a really awkward conversation with your future hacker boyfriend that gets you locked up in a nice comfy room with padded walls.” Maria rolled her eyes. “Though, knowing you, you’ll enjoy the padded room.”

 

#

 

**707** : Ahh, honey buddha chips and PHD Pepper!  
 **707** : <3  
 **707** : Is there a better combination?  
 **Morrigan has entered the chat.**  
 **Jaehee** : Hello Morrigan.  
 **Morrigan** : Hey hey, Baehee~  
 **Morrigan** : Seven! Hello babe! <3  
 **707** : Hey babe~  
 **Yoosung** : Heya Morrigan.  
 **Morrigan** : How’s it going my peeps?  
 **Maria has entered the chat.**  
 **Yoosung** : It’s going good.  
 **Yoosung** : Oh.  
 **Yoosung** : Rare monster appeared!  
 **Yoosung** : Gotta go!  
 **Yoosung has left the chat.**

 

      This was not the first time Yoosung had zipped out of chat so quickly and it was unlikely the last, but it was the first time he had ever lied like that. He felt really bad about it, but as soon as he saw Maria’s name appear in the chatroom he had felt himself panic.

      How could he face her after the dirty dream he had last night? He had never had a dream quite like that before, one that had him overheated and hard when he woke up. He could have sworn he still tasted her, but that was just his overactive imagination.

      Even know the tastes and sensations of the dreams was returning to the forefront of his mind and blood went where he wished it would not. He was not looking forward to another cold shower.

      “I’m sorry, Maria.” He sighed and drew his legs up, ignoring his body’s reaction to his thoughts. If he could not handle facing her in the chatroom, how would he handle seeing her in person?

      She deserved someone better than him. Someone manly and charming that would sweep her off her feet and treat her like the princess she was. The thought made his heart sink into his stomach. He was not sure how he felt about her, but he wanted to be that someone. He wanted to be manlier and to be someone she could reply on.

      He sighed heavily. First things first, he had to figure out a way to face her in chat instead of running. That would definitely help.

 

 **Jaehee** : That was quick.  
 **Jaehee** : He really needs to stop playing that game so much.  
 **Morrigan** : He ran away so quickly.  
 **Maria** : I didn’t even get a chance to say hi.  
 **Maria** : T_T  
 **707** : He can never ignore the siren song of LOLOL.  
 **707** : He’s going to be forever alone if he keeps it up.  
 **Morrigan** : Maybe, maybe not. Maybe he’ll find himself a gamer girl.  
 **Morrigan** : There’s someone for everyone, isn’t there?

 

      Seven’s thumbs moved to respond, only to move away before he could form a single word. What could he say to that? With his life he never really had the time to think about having someone of his own. A girlfriend to hold? A wife to love and cherish?

      He had told himself he could not miss something he never had when he gave up the chance. He had felt lonely from time to time, but that ache lessened when he joined the RFA.

      Now it came back in full force with the dream he had last night. He wanted it. He wanted a future with a woman. He wanted to be the one who made her smile. The one who held her when she shivered at night from some nightmare.

      “Only in my dreams…” He sighed and closed his eyes, his finger tapping restlessly against his phone. The same pattern he had tapped against her in his dream. The same bit of morse code communicating something he could not bring himself to speak even in the safety of a dream.

      His eyes drifted past the phone to the CCTV, seeing Morrigan tapping away on her phone. She had a collar on that covered her neck and a low-cut top that made his mouth water. Tearing his gaze away, he returned it to the chat.

      He could not be with her. He knew that. At least he could watch over her for the time being and protect her.

 

 **Maria** : I think you and Hye-Jin would get along really well.  
 **Jaehee** : You think?  
 **Maria** : Yeah.  
 **Maria** : Maybe if you ever get some time off I can arrange a coffee date for the two of you.  
 **Maria** : You’ll have someone to talk about Zen’s musicals with!  
 **Morrigan** : Ahhh yeah! Let’s make this happen.  
 **Jaehee** : As nice as it would be, I really don’t have the time to go meet new friends.  
 **Maria** : You never know. Maybe Jumin will give you a vacation soon!  
 **Jaehee** : Vacation…  
 **Jaehee** : Well, perhaps one day.  
 **Jaehee** : But I don’t foresee that happening anytime soon.  
 **707** : Boss just called and dumped a lot of work on me.  
 **707** : So I have to go.  
 **Morrigan** : Oh no! T_T  
 **707** : Sorry!  
 **707** : T_T But he’ll handcuff to my desk if I don’t work.  
 **Morrigan** : Booooo. So mean. T_T  
 **Morrigan** : Fine, fine. Go get your work done, boo.  
 **Morrigan** : Just take care of yourself, okay? Eat some real food, drink some water. Please?  
 **707** : Ahh ahhh. Your care warms my heart.  
 **707** : Don’t worry, your god Seven Zero Seven will take care of himself!  
 **707** : Laterz

 

      Morrigan and Maria chatted with Jaehee for a little while longer before she returned to work. Jumin showed up for a short time, looking for his assistant, but left after learning where she went. Zen showed up and chatted with him, excited that Maria’s coworker was a fan of his.

      He peppered them with questions about her before turning the conversation to them, questioning if they had watched any of his musicals and suggesting a few. He even suggested a few he had never been in that he swore were so good even people who disliked musicals would became a fan after watching.

      Eventually Zen left and the sisters exited the chat. They had discussed the idea of going out to eat or catching a movie, but decided against it. Morrigan had suggested that they try to recreate the incident she had with the store window, explaining that maybe forming an understanding of what triggered it might help them control it.

      “This feels stupid.” Maria grumbled as she stared at the tall glass on the table in front of her. Opposite to her was Morrigan and her glass which she kept poking.

“It looks stupid.” Morrigan bit her tongue and poked the glass again. Her finger met the solid surface and the glass wobbled. “Maybe I’m focusing too hard on the glass. When it happened I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was staring at a telly.”

      “Fine, stare at me.” Maria leaned down and peered through the glasses to stare at her sister. Morrigan did the same and they giggled at the way the curved classes distorted their image. “Yup, silly as fuck.”

      “Speaking of ‘fuck’ what did you and Yoosung do in your oh-so-dirty dream?” Morrigan laid her finger against the glass and kept her eyes on Maria’s. The younger woman put a finger against her own glass and frowned at her question. “Should I give you the birds and the bees?”

“No.” Maria grumbled. “I’ve got nothing to tell. I’m not the one who woke up looking like I was attacked by a horny vampire.”

      “A horny-” She snorted. “I just imagined him dressed up as Dracula. Blah! I vant to suck your blood! Blah! Lemme touch dem tiddies! Blah!”

      “I could actually see him trying that.”

“Me too, me too.”

      They both burst into a fit of giggles as they imagined the dramatic hacker overacting the bit. Maybe one day, for Halloween, they would drop the idea of a vampire costume and enjoy the show that resulted.

      “Your finger!” Morrigan was the first to realise the binary that danced over the cup and along Maria’s hand. Her finger was about a third of way the way through the glass, having slipped through while they were distracted. “See! I’m not crazy.”

“Oh, you’re still crazy. Just… Not when it comes to this.” She experimentally wiggled her finger. It felt as if her finger had gone to sleep. She had a sense of her finger, but no sense of feeling in it.

      “So… We can do this when we’re not over-thinking it.” Morrigan looked down at her hand. “Question is, if we don’t think about it, how can we actually control it.”

      “Guess we’re going to have to work on that next.” Maria’s gaze slid towards her phone and a thoughtful look came across her face. She pulled her finger out of the glass and pointed it towards the phone, not quite ready to try touching a piece of technology. “Maybe after that we can see what else we can do with this jazz.”


	15. Day 6 - Something Feels Wrong

      Late at night, during the wee hours where one became another, the chatroom emptied out. The screen flashed, background image turning black as binary ran across the screen. A messaged popped up next to a default picture, blank and empty with its silhouette.

 

 **Unknown:** —_F-inally  
**Morrigan** : ?????  
**Unknown** : _?Huh  
**Unknown** : T-ime—?Not—much—left__?  
**Morrigan** : What?!  
**Unknown** : -Soon-_  
**Unknown** : Angel  
**Unknown** : What is he to you?

 

      The words appearing in the RFA chatroom late last night drove sleep away and made Morrigan restless. They were gone almost as soon as they appeared, swallowed up by the hacker that sent them and leaving the chat as pristine and normal looking as usual.

      It felt tainted. It felt wrong. Morrigan closed the app and felt her stomach twist nervously. Something was off. Something was coming and it was not good, but she could not put her finger on it.

      She had to get Maria out. She did not know why, but knew that it was important. Get her out, get her safe. Where could she send her? The apartment prepared for them by Mint Eye? No. That felt wrong. What then?

      Morning came and Morrigan rose like the dead to go through the motions of preparing breakfast for her sister. Plates set down, juice pulled out, and everything ready without her thoughts touching it. Distantly she could hear the shrill screech of Maria’s alarm and steeled herself, planting a smile on her face.

      “Morning~!” Morrigan poked her head into the bedroom to see the younger woman was still groggily getting out of bed. “It’s a work day, so come eat your breakfast!”

      “Bite me.” Maria flung her pillow at the door, but hit wall instead. “Oh wait, don’t. You probably contracted vampirism from that hacker psychopath.”

      “Ehhh. Speaking of hackers…” Morrigan’s smile fell and she swallowed nervously. “Come eat. I want you awake and clearheaded for what I’m about to tell you, okay?”

      “Oh my gravy, you’re pregnant aren’t you?” Maria rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and stared at her sister. She doubted that was the case, but the reaction made the ridiculous question worthwhile.

      “No!” A fire was lit behind Morrigan’s cheeks and she waved her hands erratically as if she could slap away the mere idea. “Gods no. That’s not even possible. Not even funny. We didn’t even… It was a dream and… Shut up!”

      “Morning made.”

      Maria’s amusement began fading as they left the bedroom and headed towards the kitchen. Even the smell of freshly cooked food did little to brighten the atmosphere. Something was off, something was wrong to have Morrigan so uncharacteristically quiet. The silence pooled in Maria’s belly and she frowned down at her food.

      “Okay, so there’s no easy way to say this…” Morrigan pulled out her phone to check the RFA app, her frown deepening as she caught up on the chats that had taken place during the night. The feeling that something bad might happen twisted and grew, wriggling deeper into her.

      Jaehee and Zen had received mysterious emails from what clearly had to be Mint Eye. Just what was the cult up to? Bodyguards were already deployed, or in the progress of deployment, to all of the RFA members to protect them from the unspoken threat. Everyone but them, that is. With their location confidential Jumin could not send anyone to protect them, but they would be fine as long as they stayed in the apartment.

      That felt like a lie.

      “Just spit it out already.” Maria reached for her glass of juice and drained it, hoping the chilled liquid would settle her frayed nerves.

      “First of all, Mint Eye contacted Jaehee and Zen. Sent them party invites. Jumin’s sending them all bodyguards.” She offered her phone to Maria who took it. Brown eyes darted over the chat as she scrolled through. This was not good.

      “We’ll be fine as long as we stay here, right? I can call in and skip work for the next few days until this clears up. Manager Yi will be okay with it, I think.”

      “No.” Morrigan was positive that was a bad idea. “We can’t expect Mint Eye to leave us alone because we’re their Angels, but you can’t stay here. You have to go. It’s not safe here.”

      “What are you talking about?” Maria’s eyes met her face, wide and worried. “What about you? I can’t just leave you here!”

      “You can and you will. You’ll go to work today and tomorrow and you won’t come home tomorrow.” She took her phone back and set it aside without looking away from her sister. She needed her to understand how deep this feeling ran. It was something like instinct. She just knew it. “You can’t be here.”

      “You’ve lost your fucking mind if you think I’m going to leave you here unprotected. With the two of us here, we at least stand a fighting chance if Mint Eye shows up!”

      “I’ll be fine.” She had not thought about her own safety but the words felt like the truth. “I know you can’t go to the other apartment and you can’t stay here… Go to Yoosung’s.”

      “Are you just teasing me?” Maria’s voice took on a higher pitch than normal. “Because if you are, this is one fucked up prank.”

      “I’m not. I wish I were.” Morrigan closed her eyes. “Just please. Trust me on this. Leave as early as you can tomorrow and don’t come home. If Yoosung can't take you in, one of the others will. I just need you to be safe.”

      “Morri, you’re scaring me.” Fear made her skin cold and she swallowed thickly. Maria hated the idea of leaving the apartment, hiding somewhere safe, and leaving Morrigan alone to deal with whatever Mint Eye had up their sleeve.

      “I know. I’m scaring myself too.” Her lips quirked up in a humourless smile. “Look on the bright side. You can always use this as an opportunity to get closer to Yoosung!”

 

#

 

 **Yoosung** : Really!  
**Zen** : Ahhh, I’m so envious. What were they like?  
**Yoosung** : Cute ^///^  
**Yoosung** : Morri was weird. She flirted with Seven the whole time.  
**Yoosung** : I’ve never seen him so red.  
**Zen** : A girl that likes Seven?  
**Zen** : And here I am, with all my god-given beauty. Where is my princess?  
**Yoosung** : LOLOLOL  
**Zen** : What about Maria?  
**Yoosung** : She reminds me a lot of Rika. Even kind of looks like her in a way?  
**Yoosung** : Feels kind of like having her back with us with Maria around!  
**Zen** : I don’t think so. I mean, she’s nice, but she’s not Rika.  
**Yoosung** : I know she’s not. But she feels like her to me. Her spirit back with us!  
**Zen:** Are you sure you’re not mixing them up?  
**Zen** : Think about how Maria would feel if she read this.

 

      Yoosung frowned down at his phone. Zen was wrong. He had put a lot of thought into things ever since the dream that still made his cheeks red. There was no way he was mixing Rika and Maria up. They were just a lot alike.

      He had read an article online talking about dreams, practically dirty ones involving a friend rather than a date-mate. It claimed that sexual activities in dreams were typically a reflection of a desire for intimacy. The nudity in the dream followed that as well.

      So after a lot of thought he figured out that he was drawn to Maria because of how nice he was. He craved the intimacy, a word that made him blush even thinking it, and his subconscious was just giving him a push towards it.

      He felt like Rika was watching over him from up above. She had sent Maria to the RFA and to him to help and support him, they way she had done before her death.

      Zen was worrying about nothing. Poking his nose into other people’s business because he was a worry-wart who needed to find a girlfriend.

      Yoosung sighed and tossed aside his phone. He had bigger fish to fry, like the mess that was his house. He could not have his mom seeing the messy state he had allowed his home to enter. Between school and LOLOL he had put off cleaning for far too long.

 

 **Jumin** : The last of the bodyguards should be arriving soon.  
**Jumin** : If you feel there is a need for me, let me know.  
**707** : The bodyguards probably won’t be necessary, but stick with them for a while.  
**707** : And report to me if you see anything suspicious.  
**Morrigan** : I know you’re working as fast as you can to deal with this hacker…  
**Morrigan** : Thank you. <3  
**Morrigan** : Take care of yourself though. Rest when you can and try to eat well.  
**707** : Ahhh, my heart!  
**707** : Don’t worry about me.  
**707** : With you cheering me on, I’ll be sure to succeed!  
**Jumin** : Is Maria at work?  
**Morrigan** : Yup. Business as usual.  
**Morrigan** : Gotta make them $$$$$$  
**Jumin** : In light of recent events, it would be best for her to not go in to work until Seven deals with the hacker problems.  
**Morrigan** : …  
**Jumin** : If money is the issue, I can cover your expenses until the threat is cleared.  
**Morrigan** : How sweet of you, Cat Daddy! <3  
**Morrigan** : Taking care of the RFA members like you are!  
**Morrigan:** But it’s okay.  
 **Morrigan** : She’s safe. Public roads, business as usual. She’ll be fine.

 

 

      Seven frowned as he spun in his chair back to his computer. The red skull remained, taunting him. He had received before. Hackers chasing after him and trying to break through the layers of security. People he crossed. People who wanted revenge. People who were enemies of the agency he worked for.

      This was the first time someone got so close. They wove their way through layers of coding that blocked everyone else. It was like they knew him, knew the way he worked.

      Seven did not like it. This hacker was serious in a way the others who came before were not. He could handle it if they were just targeting him, but this hacker was targeting the RFA. It was targeting Morrigan and Maria. People that were the closest thing he had to a family. People that he cared about.

      He would die to protect them if he had to.

      His eyes strayed to the CCTV. Morrigan was moving around the apartment and every time she stepped out of view his heart seized. She was restless, the only sign that the news about the hacker was bothering her, and dusting the apartment.

      He admired her. More than someone like him had a right to. She was strong and kept optimistic in the group, putting her trust in them and the RFA. He really hoped that trust would not be for nothing.

      If anything happened to her he would never forgive himself.

      Maybe he could convince her to go to Jumin’s place. She and Maria would be safe there. Next to his bunker, the penthouse would probably be the safest place for them, especially with the hacker knowing where the apartment was located.

     Morrigan would probably get along well with Jumin, bonding with him over the beautiful fluffball that was Elly. She would start breaking down walls, wiggling her way into the cold director's heart and...

      A noise of warning blipped from his computer and he spun. The hacker was moving again. His fingers flew to work to twist his security and block the threat. The CCTV feed flickered in the corner of his eye, but he dared not turn away from the screen in front of him. He could not let the break past him.

      Terror turned his stomach, twisting the Honey Buddha chips and PHD Pepper into an enemy as he stared at the screen. The hacker, whoever it was, had not been targeting the security or him. It was hijacking the signal of the security camera in Rika’s apartment.

      The hacker was watching the feed.

      The hacker was watching Morrigan.


	16. Day 7 - Morning

**Yoosung** : Did you read what Seven said earlier…?  
 **Yoosung** : Isn’t it a bit sad?  
 **Morrigan** : Yes… I feel really sad.  
 **Jaehee** : I was quite surprised too.  
 **Yoosung** : T_T I’m shocked.   
**Jaehee** : To summarise his words,  
 **Jaehee** : _Because he is a dangerous person with a dangerous job_ ,  
 **Jaehee** : he needs to keep his distance from you…

 

      Morrigan could not sleep even if she wanted to. Maria had gone to bed late and only because she was literally pushed into the bedroom. Morrigan retreated to her couch and curled up beneath her blanket, trying to ease the tightness in her body.

      She sought comfort in the familiar RFA chat, but even that did little to ease her concerns.

 

 **Yoosung** : Can I point out a super important fact right now?  
 **Yoosung** : I did say this before…  
 **Yoosung** : but the fundamental reason why Seven is so unstable right now  
 **Yoosung** : Is because of Morrigan.  
 **Morrigan** : Oh…  
 **Yoosung** : I think he’s on edge because you’re not safe when he has feelings for you.  
 **Jaehee** : I agree.  
 **Jaehee** : That is probably why he is obsessing over the CCTV.

 

      2.35. Every 2.35 seconds Seven checked on her. Looked at the CCTV feed of her apartment and watched her from the camera in the hallway. Even though Yoosung and Jaehee agreed he cared, her heart still ached at the distance he was forcing between them. Her heart ached at seeing him as low as he was.

      Morrigan wished he would not worry so much about her.

      She distracted him without ever meaning to. So much so that he claimed to have made a robot puppy and neglected his agency work. An agency that did not value his life.

      He blamed himself for something bad happening because of him and she wished he would not.

      She wished she could go back. Just a few days. To where they laughed and flirted in the cafe. To the days before shit started hitting the fan.

      Eventually the sun rose and Morrigan left her perch on the couch. Maria’s alarm would go off soon and although she doubted either one of them would have much of an appetite, she made sure to cook at least a small one. Her sister needed her energy.

      “I don’t want to go.” Maria told her as soon as she poked her head into the bedroom. “I don’t want to leave you here to face whatever’s coming alone.”

      “I’ll be fine.” It felt like the truth, even if the bad feelings still clung to it. She offered her a smile and tugged her out of bed. “I just want to make sure you’ll be safe. Whatever it is I have to face… It’d be easier if I knew you were safe, okay? Now come eat.”

      “I don’t like it.” It was against Maria’s nature to abandon her family in times of trouble and this certainly felt like one of those times. She wanted to stay in bed, to skip work, and be there to support Morrigan but found herself being manhandled into the kitchen and forced to sit down at the table.

      They sat and tried to eat, though mostly they just moved their food around. Eventually Maria gave up the pretence of eating to sigh heavily. She pressed her palms against her eyes. Whether to fight off tears or the rapidly descending headache, she was not sure. “But fine… but why can’t you leave too?”

      “I could but there’s something I have to do.” She just was not sure what it was. “And I have to be here for me to do it.”

      “I love you, you know that, right?” Deciding she had to be strong, if only for Morrigan’s sake, she lifted her head and gave her a big smile. “I’ll go and you’ll see. You’re worrying about nothing! I’ll be able to come back home and we can finish planning the party together and argue about how I am so not wearing whatever dress you want to stick me in.”

      “Yeah, it’ll be great.” Morrigan smiled, but it did not reach her eyes.

      When Maria left for work, Morrigan made sure the apartment was locked up behind her. She moved around the house to clean up breakfast, make up the bed, and do spot cleaning where she had already cleaned before. Anything to help clean her mind and settle her nerves.

      Around nine the RFA chat dinged.

 

 **707** : Hi hi hi hi Morrigan  
 **Morrigan** : Hello, Seven… Are you okay?  
 **707** : Good morning.  
 **707** : But…  
 **707** : Zen;; it's not good for his voice to smoke;

 

      He avoided the question. Jumin joined the chat and they chatted for a minute as if everything was fine and dandy before Morrigan drew up the courage to ask a question that had been plaguing her.

 

 **Morrigan** : Seven… is everything you said last night true?  
 **Jumin** : Right.   
**Jumin** : People seemed worried last night.  
 **707** : Saw it lol  
 **Jumin** : Is everything you said last night true?  
 **707** : Ya?  
 **Jumin** : You had no choice but to choose a shit hole where a meaningless joke can cost you your life.  
 **707** : Oh… lolol

 

      “Not a laughing matter, you jerkfaced cutiepants.” Morrigan muttered at her phone, shooting the camera an unamused look.

 

 **Jumin** : And  
 **Jumin** : something bad might happen because of you so we have to keep our distance.  
 **707** : Haha  
 **707** : Time!  
 **707** : Don’t take that so seriously.  
 **707** : Something… something bad just happened and just as everyone thought, work was going so well, and I felt frustrated and upset. That’s why I said those things.

 

      He claimed it was just late night sentimentality combined with troubles with work. Morrigan could not disagree that night time was the time that people tended to get more sentimental. She could feel a little bit better, but the worry for him did not leave her heart. Sentimental or not, if any of what he said was true, even at the time…

 

 **Morrigan** : Let’s go somewhere together, Seven ^^  
 **707** : I love holidays   
**707** : I would like to take a proper one  
 **707** : once this is over haha

 

      Morrigan explained to Jumin and Seven that Maria was at work right now. She would likely stay there until around five. She brought up Yoosung and made a bit of noise about sending Maria to his place. She explained that seeing he had some real friends as hard-working as Maria might help the situation with his mom. Seven, having seen the way the pair had blushed when they met, was all for the idea.

      It was shortly after noon that her phone rang. She had been munching on a sandwich and nearly threw it in surprise in her scramble to grab at it. Seven’s face and name displayed on the screen and she rush to wipe mustard off her thumb to answer it.

      “Hello? Is everything okay?”

      “Uh yeah.” Morrigan shouldered her phone and went to the sink to wash lunch off her hands. She would have to wipe down the table again later. “Everything’s a-okay, Captain Seven!”

      “Could you open the window and see outside? And check the kitchen too, just in case.” He sounded worried.

      “Everything seems fine.” As tempting as it was to joke around a little bit, she replied honestly as she dried off her hands. If he was as worried as he sounded, now was not the time for humour.

“Oh… I see. Good. Fine for now.” He sighed in relief and her lips twitched upwards in a smile. “I just felt strange and had to call, but I guess it was just a false alarm. Sorry to bother you.”

      “It wasn’t a bother at all. Really.”

      “I’ll go back to work now. Sorry.”

      Morrigan’s spirits felt better after the phone call. It warmed her quite a bit to know that he was concerned and to hear the change in tone once he heard she was fine. She began to believe that she would be alright, that the strange feeling she had since the day before was mistaken.

 

#

With Mary Vanderwood gone for the time being, Seven turned his focus back on the code in front of him. The warnings from Vanderwood echoed at the back of his mind, a driving factor in heightening his stress, but he had to check on the RFA before he could comfortably return to work. He could focus once he knew they were all safe.

      The code for the RFA server was clean.

      The CCTV feed and signal was clean.

      Bit by bit he went through every bit of coding having to do with the RFA to make sure that every bit of ones and zeros were in their proper place. Everything checked out clean.

      Then he got to the special security system. The numbers seemed to be different on the special security system in place on Rika’s apartment. Seven frowned and leaned closer to the screen, hoping that he was simply mistaken. His fingers flew over the keyboard, pulling up the access log and dread drained the colour out of his face.

      The last log was only a couple hours ago.

      Sometime last night it was restarted and reset by someone who had broken into the code two days before. Seven cursed as he realised that whoever hacked in also changed the system.

      It had to have been his most complicated algorithm of all the security systems. The one that should have been the safest from any hacker attack.

      It had to have been the hacker that lead Maria and Morrigan to the apartment.

      “Morrigan!” His eyes widened as it finally dawned on him what the change security code meant. “She’ll be in danger!”

 


	17. Day 7 - Hackers

      “Hello? Thank god you picked up.” Morrigan was hoping to have a pleasant phone call, but Seven’s voice sounded strained. “Just stay there.”

      “Okay?”

      “The security system got hacked. I don’t know what the hell is going on…” He groaned, his voice lowering in heavy emotion she could not name. “I knew something bad was going to happen.”

      “Seven?”

      “Things are bad right now… God…” There was movement in the background. “Just don’t move and wait for me there.”

      Wait? Was Seven coming to the apartment? Morrigan’s spine stiffed and her hand flew to her lips to stifle a gasp. It must be really, really bad to push the hacker past V’s insistence that no one go to the apartment.

      “Alright. I will.” He sounded so worried that she could not deny him his request. Where else would she go?

      “Regardless of what’s going on, I’ll make sure to protect you.” Seven sounded like he was calming down a little, moving from from frightened to self-depreciating. “I’m sorry. This is all because of me. I… I couldn’t be perfect. I got so distracted and I couldn’t do all the work…!”

      “Seven, it’ll be okay.” Morrigan wished she knew what to say to make him feel better, but he was not listening.

      “I don’t even have time to be saying this. I’ll be there right now.” He was talking faster now, pleading with her. “You have to be safe… you have to… please… Please don’t get hurt…!”

      The phone call ended and Seven was not any more forthright in the chat room. She was in danger at the moment and he urged her to stay in the apartment. After that phone call she had no intentions of moving until he gave her the all clear, but the bad feeling she had from before returned in full force.

      This was why she had to send Maria away, because something would go wrong because of the apartment security.

      Her phone rang and the picture of Yoosung and Maria appeared on her screen above the name Mar-Mar. Morrigan took a deep breath and tried to ignore how her fingers shook as she answered.

      “What the hell!” Maria sounded as if she were on the verge of tears or a panic attack. Maybe both. “What’s going on!”

      “Seven’s on his way here.” Morrigan cursed the way her voice shook. She needed to be stronger than this. “Everything will be alright.”

      “Jesus fucking fuck nuggets on a cracker, don’t tell me everything will be alright when you sound like you’re about to cry!” Maria sniffed over the phone. “Please, please stay safe. I have to get back to work… But text me. Every hour, on the hour. More often, even! Just… Stay safe, okay?”

      “I will, I promise.” She pressed a loud kiss to the phone and heard her little sister make a disgusted sound. That was better. “I’ll talk to you later.”

 

 **Yoosung** : Will Maria be okay?  
 **Yoosung** : She’s at work, isn’t she?  
 **Morrigan** : Yeah. She just called me.  
 **Morrigan** : She’ll be okay, but she can’t come here.  
 **Morrigan** : She gets off at five… If everything’s not settled by then…  
 **Yoosung** : I’ll pick her up.  
 **Yoosung** : She can stay here until it’s safe.  
 **Yoosung** : I’ll think of something to tell my mom.  
 **Morrigan** : Thank you thank you thank you!

 

      That made her feel much better even if it did give Maria even more to fret over. Her sister in danger, meeting her crushes mom… Morrigan almost felt bad for her. Almost.

      At least the idea of Maria being rescued by Yoosung and meeting his mother was enough to make her smile for a while as she checked her phone and continued to wait for Seven.

      Special security system. Whatever it was seemed to be what had him so frantically worried. He had appeared in chat for a short moment, to have someone call Jumin and tell him the special security system at Rika’s apartment was hacked and to try to get a hold of V.

      It did not make her feel any better. She just hoped Seven would get there soon.

      “Hello? Thank god you picked up…” His worried voice came out through the phone. “Nothing’s going on, right? Right?”

      “Yes, I’m fine.” Morrigan tried to sooth the disgruntled hacker though she doubted it would work. “Are you okay, Seven?”

      “I don’t care what happens to me…” But she did. She cared a lot. “I told you. This isn’t the time to worry about me. You’re in much more danger.”

      Gee, way to make a girl’s heart do a flip and sink at the same time. Bravo.

      “Seven…”

      “I will get there as soon as I can so just wait. I’m sorry… that things turned out like this.” There was that tone shift again and the heart-rending guilt. “It’s all my fault.”

      No, it was not. She wanted to tell him that, but he would not listen. Not now. Not with the threat of the hacker and the special security system looming over her head.

      “You have to let me know if you her any strange noise, okay?” He continued without giving her a chance to agree. “I need to go there in person to work on the security system. I’m taking all the equipment I need… But I can’t take my car to the building so I’ll have to run. It’ll take about ten more minutes.”

      Ten minutes? Just how close did he live to Rika’s apartment?

      “Why can’t you take the car to the building?” It did not make sense for him to run. The car would be so much faster, especially in a situation that had him as frantic as this one.

      “The hacker can chase me then. And the agency too… No, nevermind.” He sighed and continued. “I know this will just sound like a lie… but nothing will happen. Let’s just believe that.”

      “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Nothing will happen.”

      “I’ll make sure that’s the case. See you soon!”

 

#

 **Yoosung** : Morrigan…  
 **Morrigan** : How’s Maria? Is she there?  
 **Morrigan** : Yoosung, do you think Seven’s safe right now? I’m worried.  
 **Yoosung** : I know. I hope he talks to you soon.  
 **Yoosung** : Maria’s here. She’s with my mom.  
 **Yoosung** : She thinks Maria’s my girlfriend. >///<  
 **Morrigan** : LOLOLOL. Not yet!  
 **Yoosung** : !!!!  
 **Yoosung** : My mom is asking us what we want for dinner.  
 **Yoosung** : And I can’t think of anything.  
 **Yoosung** : I hope we get back in touch with Seven soon and I hope he tells us everything that’s going on.

 

 

      Relieved that Maria was safe and probably embarrassed all to hell, Morrigan relaxed a bit. Jumin appeared in chat without any news. V was still impossible to reach and even Jumin was upset with him. At least Jumin was getting on the first flight home while V gallivanted around like nothing was wrong.

      No one knew what the special security system was, but the phrase was enough to send shivers of fear down her spine. Whatever the system was, she knew it would be bad.

      Waiting was hell. Morrigan had cleaned every inch of the apartment multiple times and had checked the RFA app even more times. Seven wanted her to trust him, and she did, but the waiting was driving her insane.

      There was a sound and she paused and turned words it in time to see the living room window overlooking the city shatter.

      “Gosh… I didn’t plan on making a sound but I supposed I failed on that.” That voice. She knew that voice. “Hey Angel, just stay there. You’ll hurt your feet if you step on glass. I’m climbing over the window.”

      Saeran. What in the everloving hells was he doing here?

      “The fuck!” Morrigan’s eyes widened. Glass crunched beneath his boots as he approached her. Even with the mask pulled up over his nose, she knew it was him and knew he was smiling.

      “It feels so strange to see it like this…” He muttered as his mint eyes moved around the room before returning to her. “I’ve come to take you back. Back to Mint Eye. Away from those liars… Especially those men named V and Luciel.”

      “What are you talking about.” Morrigan swallowed back her fear. Return to Mint Eye? She would never. “I’m not going anywhere.”

      “Ahh, Angel.” His eyes softened. “You don’t have any say. You got into the RFA because of me and, thanks to me, you’ll be able to get out. Back to where you belong.”

      “I’m not going anywhere.” Morrigan stepped back, eyes darting towards the door, hoping beyond hope that Seven would show up in time. “Seven!! Help!”

      “I expected you to be reluctant…” His eyes narrowed and grew cold. He took a step forward. “But you yelling that filthy name is making me go insane. Why are you calling out that name, Angel? He won’t come. Even if he does, he’s already too late.”

      No. He could not be too late. He was on his way, right? Running to help her.

      “Now… come to me while I’m still being rational.” He reached out his hand for her and smiled through the mask that distorted his voice. “Let’s go back to Paradise.”

      There was a sound behind her. A door slamming open. Saeran’s eyes widened, locked on the door. Startled by the noise, Saeran grabbed her, yanking her into his tight hold.

      Seven’s voice. Morrigan nearly sobbed with relief and fear for him. He was in time, he could help her, but Saeran was so unstable. What if… No, she could not bear to think about Seven being hurt because of her.

      “Seven!!” He had not seen her yet, but she knew he would rush to her voice. “Save me!”

      “Morrigan!”

      “Shit. Why, why are you here?!” Saeran was pissed. All his plans. All the effort to slip in unnoticed and the hacker had decided to leave his hole to show up now? He squeezed Morrigan, refusing to let her run to Seven and pulled something from his pocket. “I thought I could finally put you in pain!”

      “Your the hacker, right? Guess you’re not completely shameless since you’re covering yourself.” Somehow Seven’s voice seemed calm and steady, but Morrigan thought she could hear the strain beneath it as he inched closer to them. “You’ll go to jail for breaking and entering like this.”

      Surprised by the state of the window, Seven turned his head towards her to warn her to be careful of it so she would not get hurt. Such a sweet thing in such a stressful situation. The fact that Saeran had warned her of the same thing… As if cut up feet was so important right now.

      “First, why don’t you let go of the lady?” Seven asked Saeran with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

      “Even now, all you do is just ruin my life…” The bitterness in Saeran’s voice cut through her and she trembled. Such hatred.

      “You know me?”

      “You probably don’t know. I’m sure you’ve long forgotten about me.” He hooked his finger on the mask and pulled it off. Seven’s face fell, torn between shock and pain. “I guess now you do.”

      “Seven, do you know him?” That was the only explanation for the look on his face or for the bitterness in Saeran’s heart. Even as she asked the question she already knew the truth.

      “I prayed so that I wouldn’t meet you.” Saeran continued, his hold tightening further. The air squeezed out of Morrigan’s lungs and she gasped. “Because I knew that seeing you would remind me of my pathetic life!”

      “What happened? Why are you here?” Seven looked as if he might cry. “You’re Saeran, right?”

      “Don’t call me that.” He spat out. “You don’t deserve to say that name.”

      “You’re the one who copied my algorithm? God, when did you learn to hack? Who taught you?”

      “Is that really important right now?” Morrigan squeezed out as she squirmed in Saeran’s arms, trying to at least loosen them so she could breathe.

      “Why are you doing this?” Seven stepped forward and Saeran tensed. “Rika told me that you…”

      “Don’t you dare say that name! Traitor!” Saeran screamed at him. “All the names you spit out will be contaminated so shut up!”

      “Saeran, why are you doing this?” Seven’s eyes shifted to the device the intruder was holding and back to the unstable man. “Something bad happened, right? That’s why you’re here? But Rika would never have lied to me.”

      “Can we have this reunion when I’m not being held against my will?” Neither man responded. “Figures.”

      “You’re the one lying. I can tell. Don’t pretend you don’t know.” Saeran’s voice had gone scarily calm and Morrigan decided that was scarier than his screaming had been.

      “I’m not lying!”

      “You’re not?” The intruder scoffed. “That promise about protecting me, about being together, all lies… Even your last promise when you told me that we will be happy after escaping that hellish place was a lie. I remember all of them. I know that you changed your name to Luciel to get rid of me. Don’t tell me you don’t remember.”

      Morrigan’s words were caught in her throat and she squeezed her eyes shut. The pain radiating from the two men was too much to bear and now the pieces were falling into place. She was beginning to understand what she was trapped in the middle of.

      “That… I had no choice! It’s all to much to explain now…”

      “Shut up! What do you mean you had no choice?” He laughed and Morrigan choked on a sob, fear coursing through her at the unhinged sound. “Eat those pathetic lies of yours. Covering lies with more lies. I knew you were lowly. My savior was right.”

      The Savior with the beautiful smile and empty eyes. She had strewn poison into fertile soil and nurtured it. Oh gods, how Morrigan hated that woman.

      “Saeran, I don’t know what people told you… But I thought you were doing well.” Seven swallowed, his voice thick with emotion. “I asked Rika to see a photo of you laughing. I knew I couldn’t meet you, but I always prayed for you to be happy.”

      “Shut up!”

      “First… Let Morrigan go and then let’s talk. Please? Let’s take care of this together?” He was pleading with Saeran. “You hate me right now, right? She has nothing to do with this.”

      “You’re getting this wrong. I brought here here.” He lowered his head, laying his cheek against hers. “So she’s mine. My angel.”

      “There’s no reason to involve her in this! Don’t do something to her because of me… Please!”

      “Seven,” Tears filled Morrigan’s eyes. She had already been involved. Since long before she first stepped foot in this apartment, but here he was pleading for her.

      “Hmm~ Do you have feelings for her?” There was an edge in his voice. “For my Angel?”

      “…even if I do, it’s useless.”

      “So you do have feelings for her.” His fingers drummed against her ribs, but his hold did not loosen. “I can read everything on your mind, you know. So I can just do whatever I want to this girl to make you suffer, right?”

      “Let me go!” He would not, would he? Morrigan hoped not, but his voice… He was not stable, not in a sane state of mind. Terror seized her at the realisation that Saeran would hurt her, Angel or not, to make Seven suffer. She began to struggle in earnest, trying to force herself free.

      “Don’t fight.” Saeran’s breath warmed her ear, but made her feel cold inside. The arm holding her slid down, digging into her hip. “You don’t want him to see anything inappropriate, do you?”

      “Morrigan, stay still!” His golden eyes met hers. “Don’t move. It’s dangerous.”

      “No fucking duh!” She snapped back but froze in place anyways.

      “How will I play with you? If you want to be officially inducted, you’ll have to go through training…” He hummed thoughtfully into her ear, teeth grazing the sensitive shell. “Oh, a lot is coming to my mind…”

      “Saeran, just take me instead!”

      An electronic voice within the apartment chirped and Saeran stiffened further. His arm rose back up, nearly strangling her as he twisted to find a tiny speaker in the wall of the apartment.

      “It’s sensing you as a stranger, Saeran.”

      “What?”

      “We’ll all die if we don’t get out.” Seven sounded serious as the electronic voice continued its muffled speech.

      “Shit!” Saeran’s grip loosened around Morrigan just enough for her to twist and sink her teeth down into his arm. He screamed in pain, tossing her away, and she slammed into the ground.

      “Saeran… Why did we have to meet like this?” Seven asked even as he stepped to put himself between Morrigan and the intruder. “Get out. You’ll die like this!”

      “Shit, shit!” Without a choice in the matter he ran for the door. Eventually the voice quieted and Seven’s shoulders slumped in exhaustion as he closed the door and locked it.

      “Seven, are you okay?” Morrigan pushed herself upright, looking up at his upset profile.

      “I don’t know…” he sighed and fidgeted with the dangling string of the headphones he wore around his neck. “I don’t think both of us are okay… God… Shit. ”

      “That man… how do you know him?” She had to ask. After everything that had happened and been stripped raw in front of her.

      “That man… Is my twin brother.” He sighed and looked at her. “Oh. You shouldn’t have found out about this. I’m sorry, Morrigan, but please keep what happened with him a secret.”

      “I will.” Morrigan picked herself off the ground, wrapping her arms around herself as she stared at the redhead her heart was aching for.

      “You can forget it completely.” He told her. “No, that will actually be better. Since that was a traumatic experience. Don’t tell anyone in the RFA about him… Please.”

      That was traumatic, but Morrigan had gone through worse. The memory of a needle sinking into her eye flashed in her mind for a split second.

      “Alright. I’ll trust you, Seven.”

      “Thank you.” He stepped towards her,his hand raising for a moment as if he was about to reach for her, but instead he turned away. “I’ll see the end to this for sure, so don’t worry. I’m so sorry for putting you in this danger… I should finish rebuilding the special security system here.”

      He continued on about the security system, shifting the bag from his shoulder and explaining he had brought his laptop and equipment. He was staying to fix the system and for her protection.

      Her heart would skip a bit if it was not still racing like a horse on steroids.

 

 

 


	18. Day 7 - Relationships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, with this chapter, we conclude Day 7.

**707** : Morri…  
**Morrigan** : Isn’t it fun being here when we’re in the same apartment?  
**707** : I’m working.  
**707** : Even if you see it, it’ll be hard for you to understand.  
**707** : And I never really told you about the special security system, right?  
**707** : Everyone will be able to read it if I write it here, so I’ll explain.

 

      It was a special security system that was implemented to protect the information stored in the apartment. He did not explain what it was nor did he mention the fact that the intruder had run for the hills when it recognised him as a stranger. He did not mention the intruder at all.

      She could not blame him.

      She brought up the agency he worked for, asking if he could even be here but Seven brushed it off. Since she was in his sight he would be able to focus. Despite the dramatic events of the evening and the concern about the mysterious agency he worked for, Morrigan could not help but smile. She lifted her eyes from her phone, seeking out his silhouette in the darkness.

      Saeran. She had not known he was Seven’s brother. With the white hair and mint coloured eyes, she had never made the connection that they were twins. Now that she knew, she could see the striking resemblance between them.

      Back at Mint Eye headquarters she had the feeling that was important, but know she knew why. Even after everything that happened tonight, the urge to save him remained strong in her heart. Save him and the RFA from Mint Eye. First, she needed to tell Seven what she knew. She could not hide her connection to Mint Eye anymore.

      She curled up on the bed, pulling the blankets around her and opened up her phone to message Maria. She needed to let her know what happened, but she would leave out Saeran’s connection to Seven. No, she could get away with just the basics. She just needed to tell her enough to get her to understand the importance of her telling Seven the truth.

      As if he was not already in enough pain, she was about to add onto it.

 

#

 

      Maria’s day had been hell from the start. She could barely sleep and morning had come far too early. Her appetite was nearly completely gone and Morrigan had insisted so heartedly that she leave the apartment. Work had been so quick she barely had time to check for messages from her sister or scan through the app.

      When Maria finally got to sit down for her break, she checked the chat to discover that her older sister’s instinct had been right. Seven had appeared in the chat, explaining there had been a hacker and urging Morrigan to stay in the apartment.

      Over the phone Morrigan had told her Seven was coming to the apartment and that everything would be fine, But Maria could hear the break in her voice. Ever the big sister, Morrigan was trying her best to be strong and keep her fear from showing. And just like Morrigan, she was rubbish at hiding her emotions when it truly mattered.

      Morrigan kept her word and sent her periodical texts, further evidence of how scared the older woman was. She had always been rubbish at keeping track of time, but she must have been watching the clock and on her phone the entire time.

      Yoosung had picked her up work, showing up at the front with a nervous smile and a small wave. Hye-Jin had been grinning the entire time Maria gathered up her things to leave and peppered her with questions about the blond. She would not let her leave until she promised to dish later on.

      Yoosung’s mother met them at the front door and with a blush, Yoosung made up the lie that Maria’s apartment was being bombed and she needed a place to crash until it cleared up and was cleaned. The woman’s gave Maria a slow, contemplate once-over before a smile spread across her face.

      She loved Maria and forgave the bad lie. Somehow the older woman was completely charmed by Maria despite her awkwardness and gushed on about how nice it was to see her son finally getting a girlfriend and such a nice and level-headed one at that.

      Maria’s cheeks still had not recovered from the blush that filled them. She spent the rest of the evening being peppered with small talk and questions by Mrs. Kim.

      She could not bear to upset the woman by explaining that she and Yoosung were only friends, but she tried to avoid lying. They had not known each other long, she admitted. Mrs Kim seemed fine with them being new to their relationship and smiled brightly, wishing them well and saying she had a good feeling about them.

      “Maria Kim,” the elder had chirped over dinner, causing the not-really-a-couple young adults to choke and turn red. “Has such a lovely sound to it, don’t you think?”

      “I-I think it’s too early for something like that!” Yoosung protested. He wanted to look at Maria to see how she reacted, but he was too embarrassed. What if she was disgusted by it? He longed for the easily understandable world of LOLOL.

      “Oh, of course. I don’t expect an engagement announcement anytime soon. I was just merely making an observation.” Mrs Kim smiled patiently at her son before turning her gaze to Maria who stiffened and turned blushed. “You might have to nudge him to be more romantic from time time to time, dear. He can be pretty daft when it comes to the needs of a woman.”

      “D-duly noted.”

      “Speaking of…” Yoosung and Maria glanced at one another, dreading what might come out of the woman’s mouth. “I know you’re both young adults. I was one once myself. I don’t mind if you’re getting… close. Just be safe. I’m not quite prepared to be a grandmother yet.”

      At that moment Maria thought sitting in the apartment awaiting the shit to hit the fan there would be an easier time than facing the woman convinced she would be an in-law by this time next year.

      Eventually evening fell and Maria faked a few yawns. She told the truth when she claimed that she had a busy day at work. Mrs Kim shooed her towards the bathroom, telling her to enjoy a nice warm soak. She might not have enjoyed it, but it did wonders easing the tension that had tightened up her body.

      She was offered Yoosung’s bed, him being the blushing gentleman, and she curled up on in the warmth of the blankets while she pulled out her phone and caught up on everything that had happened while she was playing friendly with the in-law.

      The shit had finally hit the fan, but Seven and Morrigan both were rather quiet on the subject. The obnoxious redhead was in the apartment to protect her sister and to work on repairing and fixing the security system that had been hacked into.

 

_SECRET. No talky talky. Understand?_

 

      Morrigan’s text had startled her, but she agreed to silence and awaited the screen worth of text that came shortly after her.

 

_Hacker broke into the apartment. THROUGH THE WINDOW. WTF. He wanted to take me to ME HQ and I was like NO but he just wasn’t having that and Seven showed up and there was this big emotional thing. Long story short, ME hacker has big beef with my boo. Major beef. No talky talky about it. Can’t say what’s up there. But security scared him off and now Seven’s here and he’s all rofflestomper emotional because of everything and I don’t know what to do._

 

      Maria frowned and nestled deeper into the blankets as she reread the message. The fact that Saeran had broken in through the window was a big surprise. With the security system he could have gone in through the door, but she guessed that maybe he was worried about the cameras? At any rate, he certainly did have a flair for the dramatic in his appearance.

      She wished Morrigan could go into bigger details about why Saeran had a beef against Seven. Although he irritated the shit out of her, she knew that Seven was a good guy. What had he done that set off Mr. Psycho so much and enough to have Seven emotional over it?

      Her fingers moved over the phone to ask Morrigan if she thought their dramatic intruder would return.

 

_I don’t think so. He won’t be able to get back in with the special security shit being fixed. Seven’s onto him now._

 

      That was a relief and Maria told her as much.

 

_I need to tell him, Maria. He might not like me anymore afterwards, but I have to. Some of what I know might be able to help him._

 

      It was a bad situation. Without knowing the full details of what happened she could hardly give her sister proper advice on the matter. She could understand the need to tell him, especially after Saeran broke into the apartment. Morrigan was probably terrified that the truth would push Seven further away, ruining her chances with her and maybe even lose their new friends in the RFA.

      In the end she could only give Morrigan encouragement, telling her to do what she felt was right but to be careful of Seven’s emotional state.

 

_Thanks sis. Don’t know what I’d do without you. <3_

 

 

#

 

      “Maria?” It was late when Yoosung poked his head in the room to check to see of she was still awake. He saw she was on her phone and slipped inside, closing the door. “If it’s okay, can I hang out with you for a while?”

      “It’s your room. Yeah.” She drew her legs up and patted the bed. “Your mum finally go to bed?”

      “Yeah. I’m really sorry about… all of that. I’ve never brought a girl home before and she got pretty excited.” He joined her on the bed, sitting down with enough space between them to fit two more people. “I’ll explain it to her in the morning, okay?”

      “You don’t have to.” Maria’s cheeks flared hot and she was thankful for the dim light her phone provided. “She seems so happy. I’d hate to burst her bubble.”

      “You don’t mind it?” She could see his eyes widen before he looked away. Was he smiling? “I mean, she thinks you’re my girlfriend.”

      “She does.” And she liked the the sound of it even if she was not brave enough to say as much. “Does it bother you? That she thinks you’re my boyfriend?”

      “No. I don’t mind.” He scooted a little bit closer to her, testing the waters a bit. Yoosung wished the lights were on or at least his computer monitor. Then he could see her face. His blush deepened as he realised that would be too close to his dream. He swallowed hard and looked away, digging his fingers into his legs and pushing that thought away.

      “She might expect us to act like a couple. Handholding, cuddling, things like that…” Maria let the thought trail off as she turned off the screen of her mobile phone and set it aside on Yoosung’s nightstand. “We could do some of that stuff… It’d be kind of nice, actually.”

      “Y-yeah, it would.” Once again he shifted a bit closer close to her. She smiled at him and he felt a nervous kind of excitement. Maria yawned and he wanted to hug her. It was too cute. “Oh, It’s been a really long day for you, hasn’t it? I should let you sleep.”

      “You don’t have to go just yet.” Maria leaned forward to catch his hand as he was getting off of the bed. The feel of her fingers wrapping around his wrist made him stop in place and turn to her. “My nerves are still pretty shot and I can’t really sleep. If it’s no bother to you, could you stay with me for a while longer?”

      Yoosung’s heart skipped a beat and he nodded. The smile that she gave him was dazzling enough to make him dizzy. Maria gave his wrist a gentle tug and he let her pull her back to the bed. He was sitting much closer to her now and the nearness made his heart beat so loudly he wondered if she could hear it.

      “I can’t thank you enough for this.” Maria scooted closer and wrapped her arm around his, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Seriously, Yoosung. You’re the best. Even with your mom here, you didn’t hesitate to offer me a sanctuary.”

      “Y-you’re welcome.” Yoosung bit the inside of his cheek, heat rushing through his body at the feel of her so close to him. Her breasts were warm against his arm and her hair tickled his chin. Up close he could even smell that she had used his bodywash, adding an earthy undertone to her naturally sweet scent.

      He really, really liked it.

      In that moment Yoosung wished he were smooth and charming like Zen. The musical actor could quote a line from one of his shows and say something manly yet romantic that had her swooning.

      But he was Yoosung so when he opened his mouth to say something to her, he babbled about the newest legendary armour he had been grinding for.

      “Sounds pretty cool.” She said with a yawn, releasing his arm to sink down into the bedding. She tugged his wrist and once again he moved with her whim, finding himself laying down beside her. “But it sounds kind of OP. Might wanna snag it up and take advantage of it before they nerf it.”

      Maria was talking game. She was using gamer lingo. He had already thought she was cute and could not imagine her being any cuter, but he changed that assumption. She really was the cutest. Even cuter was the way she sleepily snuggled into him, draping her arm over his waist and laying her head on his chest.

      “I’m going to try for it, but I can’t really game right now.” He shifted the arm she was laying on to get more comfortable, ending up with it draped over her shoulder. This was nice. “I heard the helm drops more often during the night, so I’ll try that soon.”

      “Mmm.” The little noise Maria made put a smile on his face. “Maybe after things settle down I’ll get on and help you grind for it. You’ll get it twice as fast if we work together. You still have school, after all.”

      “I know.” He sighed. “I used to be so studious, you know. I worked so hard and never had time for games. You wouldn’t know that looking at me now.”

      “Nah, I could see it.” Her voice was getting deeper, sleep sinking in deeper. “You just need some motivation to get back into the schoolwork groove.”

      “I think I could do better with you cheering me on.” Yoosung told her softly. She really did make him feel better about neglecting his schoolwork. Maria was nice about it and did not judge him or make him feel like a stupid kid. Having her watching him, cheering him on made him want to do better. To impress her. “Will you do that? Cheer me on?”

      “Uh huh.” She nodded a little, barely conscious enough to answer. “Ra ra, Yoosung.”

      “You’re too cute.” He gave her a gentle squeeze, thinking that he could get used to something like this. Having her curled up against him like this. “Goodnight, Maria.”

 

#

 

      “I’m sorry for barging in on your space.” Seven avoided looking at her as he set up in a corner of the bedroom, unpacking the rest of his equipment finding space for it in the corner. “I’ll just stay in the corner so don’t mind me.”

      “I’m not uncomfortable at all. Just make yourself at home.” She sat crosslegged on the bed. The adrenaline had worn off, but the sleepiness had yet to kick in. “Are you hungry? I could make us something to eat.”

      “Please don’t talk to me like that. I need to fix the security system and I need to focus if I want to find out more about Mint Eye.” He arranged his wires, plugging them into the equipment and a surge protector he had brought with him. “If you’re hungry you can eat by yourself. Don’t care about me… I didn’t want to be alone with you like this, but I guess the intruder left us no choice.

      “You’re more reliable than a CCTV,” She offered with a small smile. He glanced over, meeting her eyes for a second before returning to his task.

      “That’s true, but don’t feel too safe about me. My reputation’s pretty bad.” His profile turned colder and he booted up the equipment, checking the various devices to make sure they were functioning properly. “It might be more dangerous that I’m here. My agency will track down this place… and take me away. So you really have to take care of yourself.”

      “The agency…” The more he mentioned his employers the more she despised them. Fancy cars and a warehouse full of Honey Buddha chips were not enough to make up for the chain he wore around his neck. “Are you really okay with them? Are you being chased?”

      “A little bit. But I’m the only one who knows the address to this place, so it’ll take them a long time to find me here. I left my car someplace far because of that.” Seven had shared too much, but told himself it would better underline the danger the agency presented. She had to understand how dangerous they were and how dangerous he was. “If I finish my work before I get tracked, I plan to disappear from the face of this earth… Unless something happens, you’ll be safe.”

      “Seven…” The thought of him disappearing from the face of the earth was too painful to bear. Even if she was safe, she hated the idea of never being able to see him again.

      “Anyways my point is that I’m a dangerous person. So I’ll leave as soon as I can.” He glanced at her to see she had her arms wrapped around her knees. Her long hair had fallen to shield her face. He forced himself to look away. “Don’t try to get so close to me.”

      “But… you’ll be uncomfortable in that corner.” It was pathetic, but it was the best she could offer in that moment.

      “If you have a sharpie, I’m all for drawing a line on the ground.”

      “Don’t you have anything you want to tell me…” About his true feelings? About the agency? About anything? “About your brother?”

      “It was a mistake telling you about him.” His voice was sharp enough to cut and it did. “Just forget that I even mentioned it. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but just don’t ask me anything. Maybe you should just pretend I’m not here.”

      “Are you really going to be like this to me?” Morrigan hated the way her voice sounded. Small and fragile. It sounded like she was going to cry.

      “The reason I hurried over here was to protect you.” His spine stiffened and he stared down at his laptop. The coding scrolled down the screen, ones and zeros. They offered no comfort. Not that he deserved any. “The reason why I hurried over here was to protect you. I have no plans to pursue any sort of personal relationship with you, so know it as that.”

      “Ouch.” The word was said in a joking tone, but there was real pain making the edges jagged.

      “I’m sorry if you had any fantasies about me.” Morrigan’s heart clenched painfully at his words. She wanted him to stop, but stop but he pressed on and drove the blade in deeper. “This is who I am, so just accept it and don’t try to get close to me. Nothing’s going to happen.”

      “Seven, I-”

      “I’m going to start working now.” He cut her off with a flat look, no ounce of remorse on his handsome face for the pain he was putting her through. Seven maintained eye contact for a few seconds before turning back to the code. “Don’t bother me.”

 


	19. Day 8 - Good, bad, and the Ugly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #SorryNotSorry

      Maria’s phone buzzed and she groaned in irritation, snuggling deeper into the warmth. She was comfortable, yesterday had been exhausting, and she did not want to have to get up.

      “Shh, I’ve got it.” Yoosung’s voice was husky with sleep as he shifted, reaching for the nightstand to grab her phone. He was able to dismiss the alarm and went to put it back when he saw the photo of them together at the cafe had been set as her wallpaper. He set it aside and rolled over a bit, pulling her back into his arms and burying his face into her hair to hide his smile.

      He wanted to remember every moment of this morning. Even if her alarm had been ungodly annoying. It was the first time he had awoken to a beautiful girl in his arms and he was giddy with happiness. He could almost imagine she was his girlfriend - a thought that made him blush profusely.

      He pulled back to look at her face. She had fallen almost immediately back to sleep and snored so softly he barely heard it. Her lips, full and tempting in a way that made her want to kiss them, were slightly parted. She was more than just cute. She was beautiful.

      A light knock on the door brought him out of his admiration and his eyes widened with realisation. That had to be his mother. No one else was in his house, unless his mother let some of the bodyguards in.

      “Morning.” His mother’s head poked into the room and he thought he would die from embarrassment. He had not meant to fall asleep with Maria. He meant to return to the bed he made of the couch, but one moment he was talking to her and chuckling at her sleepy responses and the next moment he was asleep. “I’m making breakfast. Do you know what she likes?”

      Afraid to way Maria up, he slowly slipped his arms free and scooted out of the bed. He rushed to the door, darting past his mother and into the hallway.

      “What?” She blinked at him before a slow smile spread across her face. “Oh, you didn’t want to wake her.”

      “She’s been under a lot of stress and had trouble sleeping.” He shut the door behind him and wondered if someone could die from blushing.

      “Mmmm. Of course.” She patted him on the shoulder and then headed back towards the kitchen. “So, what does she like?”

      “Eh, she’s a big meat eater.” He followed along after his mother, thinking back to the talk of food in the chat. “Bacon, eggs, sausage. Stuff like that.”

      “Ahh. Well, she is American, isn’t she?”

      “She is. Or was.” He shrugged. He had never pried too much into her past. In the early days of her and her sister joining the RFA they had explained they were from America, but had been living in Korea for a while.

      “The early stages of young love where the details don’t matter.” Mrs. Kim sighed wistfully and opened his kitchen, poking around to see what she could make. “Her Korean is impressive. As fluent as any Native.”

      “L-love.” He choked on the word and it bounced around inside his skull. Yoosung had always been wanting to find love for a while and had plenty of these romantic ideals, but did he love Maria? He was not sure what his feelings towards her were. He liked her, a lot. “I don’t know about that, mom.”

      “Of course. It’s still early.” She waved it off carelessly and pulled out some eggs he had stashed in the fridge. “Sit sit. I’ll cook and you can tell me more about Maria.”

      Although there was not much he thought he could tell her, he found himself knowing the answer to more of his mom’s questions than he realised. Slowly the tension left his shoulders and he found himself enjoying the conversation.

      The conversation turned to making kimchi and he grew excited. There was nothing quite like his mother’s kimchi and when she offered for them to make it together, he readily accepted. She questioned if Maria would be interested in joining them, yet another testament to how much the young woman had charmed his mother, and he had no real answer for that but promised to ask her as soon as he could.

      After breakfast had finished cooking his mother told him to go wake up his sleeping beauty and he rushed off with a blush that only grew redder as he listened to his mom laugh behind him.

      As he entered his bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed, he realised he had no thought about LOLOL since waking up. Somehow between seeing Maria’s sleeping face and spending time with his mom, the game had slipped away completely as did the feeling of loneliness he had grown used to.

      Yoosung knew it would not last, but he decided to make the most of it. He gently shook Maria’s shoulder, calling her name softly. When she woke up enough to move, he took her and led her to where breakfast had already been laid out.

      He was really going to miss this when it ended.

 

#

 

      Morrigan woke up in silent terror, the remains of a nightmare fading away with the morning light. She rubbed at her eyes and rolled out of bed, shooting a glance towards Seven who appeared to not have moved since she had fallen asleep. It was no surprise the hacker would put his own well-being last as he worked to resecure the apartments security.

      He ignored her as she collected clothing and headed off to take a shower. After cleaning off the clammy sweat of her nightmare, untangling her hair, and brushing her teeth she poked her head to see that he was still hard at work.

      “Hey Seven, what do you want for breakfast?” She was in the habit of cooking early in the morning now and she knew he had not eaten anything proper since he came to the apartment.

      “Don’t worry about me.” He paused in his work to lift up a bag of Honey Buddha chips. “Go eat.”

      “That’s not a proper breakfast.” She stuck her tongue out at his back and headed off to the kitchen. Her words did nothing to sway him, maybe a delicious smelling breakfast might soften up the thorns a bit.

      In the end she made something simple, knowing that her appetite was small. Seven might be willing to eat, but she doubted he would eat very much and probably not anything that would interfere with his meal. So with very limited options she made breakfast sandwiches with bagels, sausages, and eggs and brought then back into the bedroom.

      “Eat some real food.” He tensed as she neared, his fingers slowing to a stop as she set down the plate. Golden eyes darted to the plate and back at her, but returned to the screen before she had a chance to translate what his expression meant.

      “I told you. Don’t worry about me.”

      Yeah, she had a feeling dealing with him was going to be something like talking to a brick wall for a while. Morrigan was determined not to let it get to her. She cared about him, even with him acting like a right arse, and would not let a few harsh words from caring about him.

      “Just eat.” She planted her hands on her hips and glared down at him. “I’m not asking for marriage here, Seven. I’m just asking you eat something decent.”

      “If it’ll make you go away.” Seven tugged the plate a bit closer and Morrigan beamed with triumph. Not quite the response she wanted, but good enough.

      “It will for now!” She sang in response before turning on her heel and bouncing off to eat her own breakfast.

      Seven really should know her well enough by now to know how stubborn she was. If not from talking to her over the past week then by looking into her history.

      She was a force to be reckoned with and he would learn that soon enough, especially if he kept trying to push her away. Regardless of what he said to her the night before, she cared about him, might even be falling in love with him, and she sure as hell was not going to give up on him that easily. It just was not in her nature.

      As she ate her thoughts turned towards Mint Eye and the conversation she was bound to have. Soon, when he was a little less stiff with her, she would talk to him and explain everything she could. Everything that might help the RFA. Everything that might help him reach Saeran and save her from the madness that surrounded him.

      She just hoped he did not hate her afterwards.

 

#

 

      He had failed.

      He had been so careful, so meticulous in his plans. He had ghosted into the apartment’s special security system to alter it, taking his time to scour every line of code so that everything would be in place and nothing would go wrong. He had planned his approach, mindful of the cameras, and had executed the climb flawlessly.

      Yet he still failed.

      Morrigan had been reluctant to return to Mint Eye with him. She had even refused, which he expected. Such a sweet, dutiful Angel. She probably thought her job was not done, but he needed to get her away from the traitors. He needed her back where she belonged.

      Seven ruined everything. Showing up uninvited, unwelcome, and throwing everything to pieces.

      And the lies.

      He had not known. He had prayed for Saeran’s happiness. He had no choice but to leave him.

      It. Was. Such. Bullshit.

      To make matters worse Saeran could not get the look on his brother’s face out of his head. The pain had been so real, ripped open and raw like his own, but he could not trust it. He could not trust him.

      Saeran’s arm ached as he pressed a hand against it. Even through the fabric of his coat, his Angel’s bite had left a mark. After leaving the apartment behind and finding a safe corner, he had yanked up the hoodie to see the shallow imprint of her teeth and the blossoming purple of a bruise.

      Morrigan, who had only treated him with gentle kindness, had marked him with her wrath. It only made him feel even more of a failure.

He was upset with her. His heart hurt with a pain that ran deeper than the faint one in his arm. He wanted to hurt her, to punish her for the betrayal. At the same time he just wanted to grovel and plead for her forgiveness.

      The Savior was displeased. Her serene expression had turned bitter and cold when he returned, defeated and without his Angel. She had not blessed the mission and reminded him of that fact. He had jeopardised everything and she coldly set him back to his workroom to clean up his mess.

      Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong.

      His eyes found one of the monitors and watched the static as if that offered the cure for his sin and pain. Not to long ago the screen was filled with a flickering feed hijacked from the signal sent from the apartment. He had watched her, his heart in his chest, as she moved about her day.

      For an Angel she seemed almost human. She cleaned, she cooked, and she danced to music he could not hear. He wished he could see her now, but hacking the feed again was too risky. Even if he could slip past Seven who was now aware of him, what image would he presented with?

      The way that traitor had looked at his Angel had sickened him. He could see it, clear as day, that Seven had fallen for him. He understood that look. The deep longing that twisted a man’s insides and drove him to distraction.

      After all these years and everything that had happened, he and his twin brother had one thing in common still.

      “You can’t have her.” He tightened his hold on his arm, feeling the ache of the bruise hidden underneath his sleeve. Saeran knew better than Seven did. He knew the Angel was not meant to be held, not meant to be tied to any sinful mortal. Their touch would only taint her wings.

      But Paradise help him, he wanted to touch her. He wanted to taint her wings and keep her away from the rest of the world. He wanted to corrupt her.

      Pain spiked through him and he cried out, tangling his fingers in his hair.

      “Are you truly happy here?” He knew that voice anywhere. Jerking out of his seat he spun trying to find the source of it. His vision dimmed, binary skittering along the peripheral of his vision. “Is this paradise to you?”

      “Angel?” Saeran could not see her. “W-where are you?”

      “Liar.” She breathed as if in pain. Why was she hurting? He was doing it. He knew it. He felt it. He had hurt her, somehow. “You’re a liar, Saeran.”

      The taste of something sweet and salty filled his mouth only to be spoiled with blood. He touched his mouth to find it dry. Somehow he knew the taste in his mouth belonged to his Angel, belonged to pain he had given her.

      “I’m sorry.” His voice cracked. “I’m sorry!”

      “This isn’t Paradise.” The binary edged closer and her voice sounded weaker, strained and hoarse. A voice out of a memory he should not have. His eyes blurred with tears and the binary struck, wrapping around his body and sinking into him. “This isn’t right… This place, this Savior…”

      He screamed but his senses betrayed him. No matter how loud he got, how much he tossed and turned, he could still hear her and feel her. Her voice. Echoes of the pain he had inflicted upon her in the name of the Savior.

      “Saeran,” Her sweet voice was like salt in his wounds and he choked back another sob. “Trust me.”

      The binary left him, sliding back into the floors and walls, but he never noticed. He curled up tighter into himself, digging his fingers into the bruise and sobbed.


	20. Day 8 - Special Security

      Yoosung’s parents were government officials. Maria did not understand half of what his mother said about her job, but she got the feeling that the woman worked hard and was rather important. It was intimidating, especially since Maria was just a lowly waitress.

      Mrs Kim was very kind about it, waving it off and asking about her plans for the future. Although she worked, she had no qualms against her daughter-in-law being a stay-at-home wife or whatever else she chose. The job did not matter as much as the heart behind it.

      It was easy to tell Mrs. Kim pushed Yoosung to work hard on his studies. She made sure he got dressed and shooed him out the door so he would not be late for his next class. She had seen his schedule on the fridge and while she was staying there she was certainly going to crack the whip and get him back on track.

      “Mr. Han mentioned he was shirking his studies a bit.” She said to Maria over tea, concern making the small wrinkles between her eyes deepen. “My Yoo’s brilliant and will succeed at whatever he puts his mind to, but he’s been troubled ever since his cousin passed.”

      “I can kind of understand how he’s feeling.” Maria offered the elder a small smile of understanding as she looked down at her tea. “When my parents died my sister and I lost sight of what was important. We just drifted for a while.”

      “I’m sorry.” Mrs. Kim reached forward and gave Maria’s hand a gentle squeeze. “That must’ve been so hard for the both of you.”

      “It was, but we got past it in time.” She sniffed, surprised to find tears filling her eyes. It was not like her to get so sentimental over this. “I think… You need to keep faith in Yoosung. A gentle nudge here or there in the right direction and his priorities will fall back into place.”

      “You really think so?” Mrs. Kim sniffled and chuckled, pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket and batting at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually so emotional, but I have been really worried. It’s such a comfort to know he’s got someone like you in his corner.”

      “I’ll do my best.” Guilt edged its way into her, twisting her insides. She let Mrs. Kim believe a lie and with every passing moment she spent with the woman the worse she felt about it.

      “I know I’ve been teasing you two a lot, but I really do like you.” The older woman admitted with a warm smile that made Maria’s heart squeeze uncomfortably in her chest. “I half expected the first girl he showed a real interested in to be someone who wanted to take advantage of his kindness. You though, I know you’ve got a good heart.”

      “Mrs. Kim…”

      “Call me mom.” She interrupted with a wink as she picked up her tea to drink.

      “We’re not really dating.” There it was, out and the open. The words had come out in a gush and broke open the dam she had inside of her. “We didn’t know how to tell you and didn’t want to disappoint you. You seemed so happy with the idea so yeah… Yoosung’s a really good friend and I really like him, but the truth is he’s just helping me out and giving me a place to crash for a few days while some drama gets sorted out back at my apartment.”

      Mrs Kim raised her eyebrows and set down her tea, silently asking if she were done.

      “I’m sorry It wasn’t my intent to deceive you.” Drained of energy now that the truth was out, Maria sunk into her chair with a heavy sigh.

      “I already knew.” Mrs Kim’s words were electricity in Maria’s spine. She sat up so fast she felt something pop. The older woman was smiling, barely suppressing a laugh that made her eyes sparkle. “I was having a bit of fun. It’s been so long since I saw my son that I just had to tease him.”

      “Wow, just wow.” Realising that her mouth was open, she snapped it shut. It had never crossed her mind that Yoosung’s mother knew they were not dating and was just trolling them with her teasing. The knowledge gave her a mixed bag of emotions that made her frown. She was happy that the truth was out and Mrs. Kim did not seem to think any lesser of her for it, but she was also disappointed that the act had to end. She had really enjoyed playing it, even if it did not last long. “My sister and her maybe-future-boyfriend would love you.”

      “I’m sure I’ll meet them both soon enough.” Mrs Kim grinned. “At next year’s big family dinner, most likely. You’ll all be invited.”

      “Oh, wow. Not that I’m unhappy with the thought, but why?” She blinked, blown away by the idea of joining the Kim family for a family dinner. “We’re not family.”

      “Yet.” The older woman teased. “I’ve been around long enough to know a thing or two. I’d be willing to bet money on you two being married in a year from now. Which means you’ll have no choice but to attend the Kim family dinners.”

      “I-if you say so, Mrs Kim.” What else could she say to a confident proclamation like that?

      “Tut tut.” Mrs Kim wagged her finger at her with a bemused smile. “I told you. Call me mom.”

 

#

 

      A day ago the idea of having Seven in the apartment with her sounded like it would be amazing. Instead the atmosphere was so tense it felt like she was inching around the glass she had already cleaned up. She tried to give him his space, knowing he needed time, but it was hard. Even with her nose buried in a book, she found herself being distracted by his presence.

      He muttered to himself as he worked, switching between languages at a seemingly random pace. Korean, English, Arabic, Spanish. She understood them all, but could not make sense of his muttering.

      Morrigan wondered if he realised she was watching him from behind the shield of her book. Did his shoulders tense up when she glanced over or was that just her imagination?

      She had caught him glancing at her, but tried not to let it affect her too much. Although he had denied having feelings for her before in the chat, everyone had been convinced that he did - including Saeran.

      Despite his harshness and the way he had been coldly pushing her away, she was positive she had a place in his heart as much as he had a place in hers.

      She just had to wear down the wall he had throw up in between them.

      “Seven,” He tensed at her call but did not turn towards her. “Want me to make you lunch?”

      “No. I’m fine here.” To make his point he shook his Honey Buddha chips that he had fished out of the bag he had brought to the apartment. “Stop distracting me.”

      “I think asking you one question hardly counts as a distraction.” Mirroring his actions with the Honey Buddha chips, she picked up the book she had been reading and shook it. “Seriously. It’s not a crime to try to take care of your friends.”

      “We’re not friends.” Ouch. That hurt. “And stop staring at me.”

      “Claiming we’re not friends won’t change the fact that we are.” She swallowed and looked away, her cheeks flushing red at having been caught staring at him. “Hey, it’s a free country. I wasn’t bothering you… Just watching you work.”

      “Don’t even look at me. Don’t get used to me. Don’t talk to me.” His hands balled into fists in his lap and he told himself to look away. The work for the agency was still unfinished, but until the special security system was secure and the RFA safe he could not focus for more than a few minutes on it.

      It did not help that he could feel her gaze on him. She could not even be subtle about it.

      “I know you don’t mean that.” Morrigan bit her lip and tried to force herself to calm down. She did not need to allow her emotions to get the best of her right now.

      “But I do.” He felt the knife in his own heart when she flinched, but forced himself to push harder. “I don’t want to be here, with you. Get that through your thick skull. I don’t like you.”

      “Liar.” Morrigan’s voice shook and her vision blurred with tears. She dug her nails into her palms and rolled off the bed. She needed to be somewhere else right now before she started crying.

      “Delusional.” He shot back, turning his eyes back to the code. It was a smear of black, red, and green but he refused to do anything about it. Not while she could see.

      “Yeah, I guess you are.” She sniffed and tried to keep her pace even as she headed to the door. Morrigan paused with her hand on the doorknob. “When you’re done being such a dick, there’s something serious I need to talk to out about.”

      Morrigan managed to make it out of the room and into the kitchen before the tears won. Sinking down into a corner of the kitchen she pressed her hand against her mouth to keep herself quiet. Ugly, choking sobs tore themselves free leaving her lungs aching.

      It felt as if Seven had ripped her heart out of her chest and ground it into paste beneath his shoes. Even the torture she endured in her nightmares did not touch upon the pain Seven inflicted upon her.

 

#

 

 **Jumin** : And the security system?  
 **707** : I’ve been working on it since yesterday so everything’s back to normal.  
And I switched up all the algorithms too.  
 **Jumin** : So the security’s been tightened?  
 **707** : Yes…   
**Jumin** : Let me ask you this one thing. Zen asked earlier, but how does the security system work?  
 **Jumin** : I have to know how it works to prepare a security team just in case.  
 **707** : Well… It just gets rid of the intruder.  
 **Maria** : How?  
 **Jumin** : Are you saying there’s a weapon implanted?  
 **Morrigan** : Can you… reveal the secret?  
 **707** : It is a secret… but since it concerns your safety, I think it’s time for me to talk about it.  
 **Maria** : Let’s hear it then.  
 **707** : The special security system…. Is something that can get rid of the intruder and burn all of the information at once.  
 **Morrigan** : You don’t mean…  
 **707** : It’s a bomb.  
 **Maria** : Real funny Seven.

 

      Morrigan’s eyes lifted from the chat to find Seven hunched over in his corner. He had moved to put his back against the wall and the light of his phone reflected on his glasses, shielding his eyes from her. Even so, his expression was clearly serious.

      There really was a bomb.

      That explained why Seven had been so frantic with worry once he discovered the special security system had been hacked. It explained why Saeran had gone paler than ever when the system started recognising him as a stranger.

      He had known there was a bomb too.

      Seven had kept the truth about the system from her until now, allowing her to live with a bomb, but he had never meant to endanger her. He had never expected Saeran to infiltrate his code. Even now she could see the bags under his golden eyes. She had not seen him rest at all since showing up. He was trying his hardest to protect her.

      Morrigan could not even bring herself to be angry at Saeran who had hacked the system, rendering it a danger to her and her sister. He was unstable, broken, and she could not hold his sins against him.

      It was well within her rights to be angry at the both of them, but she was not. The only direction her ire was directed was towards the Savior and her precious, disgustingly twisted Mint Eye.

  
 **Morrigan** : Yeah, a laugh, right… But, his expression is so grim right now.  
 **707** : Rika requested this to protect the info. V agreed.  
 **Jumin** : I can’t believe you.  
 **Jumin** : The bomb won’t just get rid of the information and the intruder… It can get rid of everything **inside** , even innocent people in there.  
 **707** : You’re right…  
 **Jumin** : Rika made the decision to implant a device that can kill? Just to protect information?  
 **Maria** : WTF  
 **707** : Rika… Rika just wanted to use it as a threat.  
 **Maria** : Some threat!  
 **Jumin** : That’s not something the Rika I know would do.  
 **Jumin** : You know that you and Morrigan are at risk right now.  
 **Morrigan** : He knows… But I trust Seven will figure out a solution to all of this.  
 **Morrigan** : Have faith. He won’t let the bomb go off.  
 **707** : We’re more safe by being in danger…  
 **Jumin** : If you’re talking about a defence strategy, it sounds very irresponsible.  
 **Maria** : Irresponsible isn’t the word I was going to go for…

 

      Maria cursed as she kicked the doorframe, eyes on her phone. Her sister, the only family she had left in the world, was living with a bomb. A bomb Rika had come up with in some harebrained idea to protect the information. How messed up was the woman for her to put the lives of people at stake just for some papers?

      “Maria, are you okay?” Mrs Kim came around the corner with a laundry basket propped on her hip.

      “RFA stuff…” She swallowed back her anger and fear to give the woman a smile. “Just got some bad news, that’s all. Nothing we can’t overcome.”

      “Does it have anything to do with the bodyguards?” She nodded towards the living room where a few handsome men in suits were sipping tea and chatting quietly.

      “Yeah… And it’s why I’m here instead of back home.” Maria’s eyes lowered to the phone, scanning through the chat to see what she missed. “We’re safe so don’t worry. The bodyguards are just a precaution.”

      “If you say so.” She patted her gently on the shoulder as she walked by. “Cheer up. Things make look bad now, but everything’ll be fine.”

  
 **707** : That was Rika’s plan.  
Jumin: My bodyguards will be useless then. I can’t believe Rika chose to be such an idiot.  
 **707** : I get that, but you know what’s important right now: Everyone knows about the bomb and that Morrigan won’t be in danger even if something happens to me later on…  
 **Jumin** : Let me call you right now.  
 **707** : Sorry Jumin.  
 **707** : The guy came to fix our glass, so I have to go.  
 **707** : Morri, will you quit the messenger and come with?/  
 **707 has left the chat.**  
 **Maria** : I can’t believe this.  
 **Maria** : A bomb for a security system?!  
 **Jumin** : What the hell was Rika thinking?  
 **Morrigan** : I think I have to go… Lemme talk this over with Seven.  
 **Maria** : Call me if anything happens.  
 **Jumin** : Or if you need my help, call me as well.   
**Jumin** : It may be too late once you call…  
 **Maria** : dude T_T  
 **Jumin** : But please be careful.  
 **Jumin** has left the chat.  
 **Maria** : Morri… please stay safe.   
**Maria** : I refuse to lose you to something so fucking stupid.  
 **Morrigan** : I’ll be okay.   
**Morrigan** : I’ll call you later. Love you, Mar-mar.  
 **Morrigan has left the chat.**


	21. Day 8 - Truth

      Seven’s phone kept ringing after the bombshell he had dropped in the chat, but he ignored it after a glance. It was Jumin, but he had nothing he could say to him. Not with someone in the apartment working on the window Saeran had broken.

      “I don’t know what you threw to break this glass… but be careful from now on.” The man who came to fix their window was old and grey, but he fixed it with a skill that spoke of years of experience. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

      “Of course.” Glass like that was not easily broken through. He fished out his wallet and pulled enough bills to cover the cost of the repair. “Here’s cash.”

      “Do you want a receipt?” The man asked as he quickly counted out the cash and stuffed it into his pocket. He picked up his clipboard to make a few notes.

      “I don’t need it.” Seven offered him a small smile, only to be polite as he led the man to the door and opened it for him. “Take care.”

      “Thank you. Don’t throw things even when you get angry from now on.” He offered Morrigan, who lounged on the couch watching, a small wave before leaving the apartment and muttering to himself. “Young people these days…”

      The worker had been rather surprised to see the broken window, claiming that it took quite a bit of force to leave that big of a hole. Seven made up a story, claiming that he and Morrigan had fought and the next thing they knew he had broken the window by flinging a scrub brush. The elderly man had frowned but had accepted the story without a word. He had probably heard stranger explanations.

      “How do you think your brother broke through the glass?”

      “I don’t know.” Seven stiffened as he locked the door. “You’d probably know better since you were there.”

      “Unfortunately no. It was the glass breaking that alerted me to his presence.”

      “Just don’t think about it.” He sighed, his broad shoulders slumping as he took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. He slipped his glasses back on, gearing up the strength to face her. “I’m sorry, but please don’t mention my brother right now. My brain will explode if I think about that too.”

      Morrigan chose not to comment on his poor choice of words. Explode, really? After revealing there was a bomb in the apartment he just had to use that word.

      “And one more thing…” With the door secure he turned to her. His brow was furrowed in confusion and his lips were turned downward in a frown. “Can you really stay that calm? You’ve been chatting me up since yesterday… You’re really strange. Aren’t you scared that there’s a bomb here?”

      “I’m not scared at all with you here.” She swung her legs off the couch and sat up to smile at him. “I know everything will be fine.”

      “It’s nice to see you be positive, but you should always be careful.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Seven’s tone was soft and filled with concern. “I didn’t come here from a sense of justice. I came here because you are in serious danger.”

      “I know.”

      “Aren’t you supposed to get angry at me? I’m the one who put you in danger…” Seven dropped his hand to his side, balling it up into a fist. His voice cracked and she had no words for the emotions she heard in it. “I’m so angry at myself… why aren’t you mad at me?”

      “If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been kidnapped then.” She got to her feet and slowly moved closer to him, laying her hand over his fisted one. He tensed at her touch, but slowly loosened his fist. “Thanks to you I’m fine.”

      Going through an emotional roller-coaster because of him, but fine. Better than she would have been if he had not shown up.

      “That’s not important. Your life was at risk as a result.” His eyes shifted and avoided her own. They locked onto her hand which remained warm on his. Part of him leapt to life at the small touch, at the softness of it, but a larger part hated himself. “I wish none of this ever happened. That bomb and you joining the organisation!”

      Seven slipped away from her then, ghosting away from her touch. He headed down the hall towards the bedroom and she trailed after him.

      “Don’t ever download weird apps on your phone. Oh… Well, that’s none of my business.” The emotion had drained out of his voice now, leaving a flat emptiness that made her ache even more for him. “I’m going to do what I can now. So you do what you can too. Just stay still and safe. I’m going to put on my headphones and work now, so don’t bother me.”

      “Wait.” She rushed forward, catching the sleeve of his hoodie before he could sit down. “Seven, we need to talk.”

      “No, we don’t.” The ice was back in his voice. “Let me go.”

      “I’ve met Saeran before.” That got his attention. He turned slowly and she let go of his sleeve. “This is going to be a bit of a long story, so you might want to sit down for this.”

      He sat down on the edge of the bed, his face blank. She bit her lip as she stood in front of him, her hand going to her branded hip. She was not sure where to start.

      “I didn’t know he was your brother, otherwise I would’ve told you sooner.” He nodded slowly but said nothing. “You’ve probably already noticed that he and I have the same eyes.”

      “I did.”

      “I’m guessing Saeran’s eyes were like yours. Beautiful golden honey, right?” The faintest bit of colour graced his cheeks, but she could not let herself get distracted. “Mine were brown.”

      “How…”

      “I have these nightmares…” She lifted her hands to her eyes and covered them, shuddering at the memories that edged their way to the surface. “Something they did, something he did changed them. The drugs…”

      “Morrigan… What are you talking about?” Seven was trying to connect the dots, but so much was going on that he could not keep track of his thoughts.

      “Mint Eye. They… tortured me. I don’t think he remembers. I think that happened in a parallel universe.” She frowned and dropped her hands to wrap them around herself. “I don’t know how I got there or where they were. They called us Angels… Creatures sent from Paradise to help them.”

      “You said ‘us.’” He had noticed the switch. She could only nod. “So they had Maria there too.”

      “Yes, but they didn’t torture her. Saeran chose me and I let him.” Morrigan squeezed herself tighter. She did not want to talk about the torture anymore. “We convinced them we were Angels and convinced them to let us come here, to infiltrate the RFA.”

      His expression turned stormy and she fully expected to see it transform into hatred at any second. It would be justified.

      “Maria and I know things. I don’t know how or why. We knew Mint Eye was dangerous and knew the RFA was good.” He needed to understand her. “They would’ve sent an innocent girl in our place if we didn’t go. We couldn’t risk someone dying… We couldn’t risk her failing to save you.”

      “So all along…”

      “We knew who the hacker was.” She admitted and his expression darkened further. “We were afraid to say anything. We didn’t know if they were watching us.”

      “Our enemies were under our noses all along.”

      “We’re not your enemies.” Her cheeks grew damp as fa tears rolled down her face and she dashed them away with her sleeve. “Please believe me.”

      “…I don’t know if I can.”

      “Mint Eye has a headquarters. Somewhere in the mountain. It’s big and they’ve got a lot of people.” Morrigan hated remembering that place, but pushed the information out. “I don’t know why they’re targeting the RFA, but Maria and I really do want to help protect you.”

      “The bomb… Saeran coming here, was this part of their plan?” He demanded. There was something violent in his tone. “To lure me here for some reason?”

      “I don’t know.” It was the honest truth and she hoped Seven could see that. “I didn’t know about any of that.”

      “I don’t know how I can trust you.” Seven turned his eyes away, unable to stand looking at her any longer. He had thought his pain could grow no deeper, but it was.

      “I hope you can…” Morrigan moved closer and he stiffened when her land landed hesitantly on his shoulder. “Please, Seven. I’m not your enemy.”

      “Why? Why are you telling me all of this now?”

      “Because I needed to. Because you deserve to know the truth, even if it makes you hate me. Because I want you to use me, use my role as an Angel to help you, the RFA, and Saeran…” His head slowly lifted and her next words made his eyes widen. “Because I love you.”

      Seven had no words for her.

      “And now you know why I don’t blame you. I choose to come here. I chose this because even with a bomb here, this is still better than staying with that insane cult.” She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The truth was out. “Just please, have faith in me.”

      “I need to get back to work.” Seven could not compute all the information she had fed to him. He stood, looking down at her with unreadable eyes.

      “Yeah, I won’t keep you.” Yet he made no move to walk around her and she did not step aside to let him pass. They were so close that it would only take a step to close the distance.

      “Are you still going to bother me?” The question almost sounded hopeful, but that might be wishful thinking on Morrigan’s part.

      “Yes.” She offered him a small smile. “I’m not giving up on you, on us, so easily.”

      “You…” Seven’s hand was shaking as he raised it. He was torn and his mind was exploding with thoughts he could not follow or tame. His heart was in a worse state. He wanted to push her away as much as he wanted to draw her in close. “You’re impossible.”

      “I know.” Her hand rose to meet his and entwined their fingers together. “You are too, but I still love you.”

      Her smile was sad as she released him and Seven let her warm fingers slip away. She waited for a moment before turning and leaving the room. He could hear her footfalls as she moved through the hallway towards the kitchen.

      He could not keep her with him, no matter how much he wanted to despite her connection to Mint Eye. He raised his hand to his chest, pressing against it as if he could transfer the lingering warmth of her touch into the ice that bit at him.

      Seven made himself move towards his temporary workstation. He pulled his headphones up over his ears and placed his fingers over the keyboard.

      He was not Agent Seven-Zero-Seven, emotionless agent who collected cars and dutifully did his work for the agency. Neither was he Luciel, the innocent reborn into hope under the eyes of God in the baptismal waters of the Church. He was not the 707 she met and fell for in the RFA cat and the cafe.

      He was not sure who he was anymore. Everything he thought he knew about himself had been splintered to pieces the moment she stepped into his life.

      This was him, whatever that meant. A variable meant to be forgotten, but oh, one that longed to be remembered. A broken man who could not grant her the space station or the stars she so richly deserved. Just a broken man with broken dreams who would only bring her misery.

      How was it he had a better idea of who she was than of himself?

      He had seen the nightmares rob her of sleep. He was witness to her flinch when even her beloved little sister strayed too close and brushed against her. He knew someone who was haunted by pain and trauma. He knew the words she spoke were the truth. He could feel it, just like he had felt her goodness from the very start.

      He knew her. ‘Angel’ or not, she was Morrigan - the woman who was destroying him even now.

      “…Requesting to satellite… code is G2X0…” Seven spoke as he returned to work, letting the buzz in his ears smooth down some of the frayed edges of his soul. “Coordinates are 16.29562… 500:1… possible satellites… Germany, France… Analysing header information… decoding hash code… altering visual information…”


	22. Day 8 - Feelings

_I told him the truth._

      The text message alert had startled Maria who had been flipping through one of Yoosung’s textbooks. Setting the book aside, she read the message and tapped out a reply applauding her sister for her bravery. Unable to think of a subtle way to ask how it went, she chose to be blunt and asked how he took it.

_I’m not sure yet since it was a lot to take in. Babe’s working hard right now… I don’t think he’ll want to talk about it just yet. But I think he believes in me._

      As promising as that sounded, Maria was not the type to count her chicks before they hatched. Morrigan’s head was often in the clouds, sometimes in orbit, so Maria was left with her feet firmly rooted. Someone had to keep her sister from flying off. So she took the message with a grain of salt, hoping for the best, but already preparing for the worst.

      If Seven turned against them the RFA would follow suit. Despite the hacker’s secrets, the RFA members trusted him and believed in him. If he considered Maria and Morrigan their enemy, then the others would likely follow suit.

      Without the RFA, what would Morrigan and Maria be left with? They had no family to speak of and no real friends outside of their newly discovered ones. They would be alone. On top of that Mint Eye would eventually come after them. It was inevitable for the cult to find out they were not on their side.

 _I told him something else, Mar-mar. It just kind of slipped out._  

      Maria frowned as she read the message. She responded with a simple question mark. The only other thing she could tell him would be about the strange binary tricks or perhaps the real dreams they had.

_I told him that I love him;; it might be kind of crazy but I do._

Oh, well it appeared as if Maria had missed another option completely. It was a bit of a surprise to see the text so suddenly, but as she stared at it the surprise fell away. She had been witness to Morrigan falling for the hacker, after all.

      It was kind of crazy, given how it was not all that long ago they had first entered the chat. Yet she had seen the way Morrigan’s face had lit up when she got to talk to the obnoxious redhead. She had witnessed the chemistry sparking between them when they had met in the cafe.

      Maria did not need Morrigan to tell her that he had not returned those words. She knew how to read between the lines.

      She also knew her sister well enough to know that she was not going to give up. Morrigan was a dreamer at heart and a hopeless romantic. She would fight as long as there was the smallest spark of hope.

      “Maria?” Yoosung’s voice brought her back to her surroundings and she looked up from the couch to see him still wearing the little apron his mother had thrust at him after he returned home claiming he had no homework. He even had a little dishrag tied in his hair to keep it out of his face and dust free as he cleaned his home. “Are you okay? You’ve been making faces.”

      “Yeah, just thinking.” She patted the couch beside her. “Take a break, Yoosung. You’ve been working hard.”

      “But my mom…”

      “If she says anything, I’ll handle it.” She patted the couch again and he sighed and plopped down onto the cushions beside her. “Are you okay?”

      “So tired,” He pulled the scarf off his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “First the lectures, then that chat, and then all this cleaning. Ahh, Maria! I’m still reeling!”

      “I know. It was a shock.” She scooted over and slid an arm around him to give him a comforting rug. “I can’t believe Rika had a bomb installed.”

      “I heard that normal people can’t understand geniuses, but this is beyond that…” Yoosung tucked her under his arm and gave her a gentle squeeze. She was comforting without needing to say a word. “I mean, even a genius would think the same. You can’t ever install a bomb in someone’s apartment.”

      “Yeah. I think the same way.” She frowned at the scent of dust and cleaner, but snuggled closer to him. “It’s so risky. What was she thinking?”

      “Everything is gone once the moment the bomb goes off. Wearing an armour and using a shield won’t do anything. And you never know when it’s gonna go off.” His mind eventually caught up with his mouth and he winced. Maria’s sister was still there, with the bomb, and there he was running off at the mouth about it exploding. “Not that it will. Seven won’t let it.”

      “I know he won’t… Especially not after what she said to him today.” Maria felt him shift and looked up to see his face close to hers. Her cheeks flushed at his nearness.

      “What’d she say?” Yoosung had not noticed how close their position had put them.

      “She told him that she loved him.” Maria wished she could look away, but she could not bring herself to do so. He was so close, so handsome. Her heart was beating so hard she could feel it in her chest.

      “Whoa. That’s big.” His eyes widened. “How’d he take it?”

      “She didn’t say so I’m pretty sure he didn’t return the sentiment.” She sighed at that. “Morri’s a tough cookie, but I can tell she’s having a hard time right now.”

      “I don’t know if he loves her, but I know he likes her.” Yoosung offered her a smile that helped ease her worries. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

      The others mentioned he talked more with her than he did them, revealing more of himself in the short time he knew her than he ever did with the rest of them. He showed up more often and even listened to her when she told him to chill out. It was pretty obvious he cared about her, a lot, even if he had denied it in chat.

      “Yeah, but he’s not owning up to it.” Maria frowned and laid her head against his shoulder. “I get the secret agency and all this shit with the hacker isn’t helping matters…”

      “If anyone can find a way around that mess, it’s those two.” He squeezed her gently. “Maybe one day he’ll be your brother-in-law.”

      “Ugh, don’t make me change my mind about supporting them.” She poked him in the side and he squirmed with a laugh. “Have you ever thought that he could end up being your brother-in-law too?”

      Maria had the pleasure of seeing the confusion on his face slowly transform as he connected the dots and realised what she inferred. The red blossomed in his cheeks, spreading to his ears and even down his neck.

      Too cute.

      Yoosung was still under the impression his mother believed they were dating. Maria had tried to tell him, but Mrs Kim had shooed him off to start cleaning. When the older woman asked her to keep quiet for a little bit longer, there was little for Maria to do but agree. Mrs Kim did not want the teasing to end just yet and Maria guessed it was because the woman wanted her fun to continue for a while longer.

      “I’d never get a break from him, would I?” Yoosung sighed heavily and slumped in defeat at the idea of a lifetime of pranks. The hacker was one of his closest friends, but there was only so much of his shenanigans that he would handle. “Ahh, well. I think I could live with that.”

      “How? I’m definitely going to need all the advice I can get here if they do get together.”

      “Well, it’ll be fine because of who my wife would be.” Now they both were redder than any one person could healthily be.

      Maria’s brain misfired as her heart started jackhammering in her chest. There was no misunderstanding what he meant. The only way for Seven to be his brother-in-law if he married Morrigan would be for Yoosung and Maria to get married.

      He could live with Seven’s trolling being a regular thing if Maria was his wife.

      “I-I’m sorry.” The silence must have gotten to Yoosung because he pulled away. He turned his face away from her, embarrassed and upset. He had screwed up, badly. Said too much too soon. “J-just pretend I didn’t say that. I was just thinking and babbling and I’m sorry.”

      “Don’t be.” Maria reached for his hand and took it in hers. “I was just thinking… that I’d be able to stand him too, if you were… Well, y-you get what I mean…”

      “Y-yeah.” Yoosung was smiling again. “You know, I wish you could’ve met Rika. You two are so much alike I just know you’d get along.”

      “Eh, I’m similar to Rika?” She frowned at that. While she knew that he meant it as a compliment, it did not sit well with her. From what she heard about Rika, she really did not feel like they were alike at all. “How?”

      “You’re a lot like her,” Her frown confused him. Why would she take that as anything but a compliment, even after the whole bomb mess? “You even kind of resemble her in a way. Being with you is like having her back again.”

      “I’m not Rika.” Maria let go of his hand and got up off the couch. He had gone from a mixed back of insulting and complementing to straight up insulting. “And I’ve seen pictures. I don’t look like her either.”

      “B-but…”

      “But nothing. I’m not her.” She swallowed against the lump in her throat, tears pricking at her eyes. “And here I thought there was something between us, but you’ve been seeing her all along. I get that you miss her, but I’m not going to be a stand in for Rika for you.”

      Maria turned away and headed back to Yoosung’s bedroom. It only took her a few moments to change into her original clothes, helpfully cleaned and folded by Mrs Kim, and pack up what little she had brought with her. She felt bad for not saying goodbye to Yoosung’s mother, but she could not stand to stay there for a minute longer. It just hurt too much.

      Bodyguards trailed after her as she made her way to the closest convenience store, sinking down into the bench outside and pulling out her phone. She had to find somewhere else to stay. Her heart would only break again if she had to see his face again.

 

 **Maria has entered the chat.**  
**Zen** : Hey Maria.  
**Jaehee**. Hello.  
**Jumin** : Hello, Maria.  
**Morrigan** : Mar-mar~, mah sis!  
**Morrigan** : What’s up?  
**Maria** : Nothing, nothing.  
**Maria** : I just…  
**Maria** : Anyone else got a couch I can crash on for a while?  
**Jumin** : Did something happen?  
**Morrigan** : !?!?!  
**Maria** : Not exactly.  
**Morrigan** : CALL ME.  
**Maria** : I’d go home if I could but…  
**Morrigan** : It’s safer if you didn’t.  
**Maria** : Right. Not gonna risk the bomb thing.  
**Zen** : I was about to go out for a ride, but I could pick you up?  
**Jumin** : Alternatively… My penthouse is large enough and probably the safest place for you. I could send a car to pick you up.  
**Maria** : Thanks, both of you.  
**Maria** : Don’t take any offence…  
**Maria** : Zen, I’ll text you the address for where I am.  
**Jumin** : You left Yoosung's home?  
**Maria** : Yeah.  
**Zen** : Right. See you soon.  
**Zen has left the chat.**  
**Morrigan** : Text me as soon as you see Zen and get there safely, kay?  
**Jumin** : You do have some bodyguards with you at least, right?  
**Maria** : Yeah, a couple. They’re standing around being all reliable and protective.  
**Jumin** : Good.  
**Jumin** : My offer remains on the table should you change your mind.  
**Maria** : Thanks.  
**Maria** : I’m going to go inside and buy a soda. I’ll pop on when I get to Zen’s.  
**Maria** : I'll call you later, Morri. Don't worry. I'm good. I'll explain over the phone.  
**Maria has left the chat.**  
  



	23. Day 8 - Sort Your Emotions

**Yoosung** : Morri…  
 **Yoosung** : I feel so bad right now.  
 **Yoosung** : It’s obviously that V’s not gonna call.  
 **Yoosung** : And Maria just up and left!  
 **Morrigan** : Who knows? He might call.  
 **Morrigan** : And yeah. She made it safely to Zen’s.   
**Yoosung** : I doubt it.  
 **Yoosung** : Wait!? She went to Zens’?!  
 **Morrigan** : Yup.  
 **Yoosung** : She didn’t even say bye to my mom.  
 **Yoosung** : I thought she just went out for a walk.  
 **Yoosung** : But I looked everywhere and she wasn’t there.  
 **Yoosung** : Everything’s so clean here.   
**Yoosung** : Laundry’s done, bathroom’s spotless, fridge filled with fruit, kimchi, milk…  
 **Yoosung** : I feel so empty.  
 **Morrigan** : You miss your mom and Maria.  
 **Yoosung** : Yeah. T_T  
 **Yoosung** : My mom seemed like she had something to say on the way to the station so I asked her what and she just told me to call often.  
 **Yoosung** : She always says whatever she wants to say, but she barely managed to say that.  
 **Morrigan** : Stop gaming all the time and call her every now and then.  
 **Yoosung** : I plan to. Don’t know why I never called. T_T   
**Yoosung** : She thought I was just busy with school until now so she never called. But all this time… I never thought about my family because I was busy gaming.   
**Yoosung** : I feel so sorry. T_T  
 **Morrigan** : You can be a better son from now on~  
 **Yoosung** : Yup! I’m going to call my mom a lot from now on.  
 **Yoosung** : But I still don’t know what to do about Maria…  
 **Yoosung** : She’s really at Zen’s?  
 **Morrigan** : Do you know what you’ve done?  
 **Yoosung** : I upset her…  
 **Morrigan** : Yeah. You owe her an apology.   
**Morrigan** : She is not nor will she ever be Rika.  
 **Morrigan** : That really hurt her.  
 **Yoosung** : I didn’t mean to hurt her. T_T  
 **Morrigan** : Listen, I’m about 1.247 seconds away from unloading my big sisterly wrath on you.   
**Morrigan** : She really likes you.  
 **Morrigan** : I know you like her.  
 **Morrigan** : Get off here, sort out your emotions, call her, and apologise!  
 **Yoosung** : I will.  
 **Yoosung** : I’ve got to be a better man.  
 **Yoosung** : For my mom and for her too.  
 **Morrigan** : That’s the spirit!  
 **Yoosung** : Thanks. Talk to you later.  
 **Yoosung has left the chat.**  
  


#

     “God Seven God Seven!” The cute, feminine voice came from within Seven’s bag. Morrigan stared in surprise as it toppled over to reveal a white robotic kitten with blue eyes. It immediately went to Seven’s side and pawed at his knee. “I sense you’re depressed, meow. I automatically turn on when I sense that you are depressed, meow. The source of God Seven’s depression is bad service, meow. I analysed! Meow.”

     “Shut up.” Seven snapped at the kitten, brushing it aside. Undeterred by his rejection, the chat bounded back to him and rubbed its head against his leg.

     “Cheer up, meow!” The kitten continued to try to get his attention. “Meowy does not lose service, meow!”

     It was cute. Really cute. Big blue eyes that shone like gems and made to look fluffy, it bore a striking resemblance to Jumin’s Elizabeth the Third. Had Seven it online and bought it? Morrigan doubted that, remembering the talk of the robotic dog that breathed fire.

     “Be quiet…” He scooped up the robot cat and tuned it from side to side, searching it for an off switch. “How did I turn this off? Damn…”

     “Need explaining, meow!” Meowy wiggled its short legs, trying to get back upright although Seven still held it.

     “I said shut up!”

     “Meowy wants to hear master meow~” It purred at him, trying to get him to cooperate with it.

     “That robot…” There was no doubt about it now. Not only did it resemble Elly, but it called him God and master while being obnoxious in the cutest manner. No one else could create something like that except for Seven. They had talked before about making a robotic cat before. “You made it then.”

     “Don’t worry about it.” He blushed and set down the cat. “Hey, robot cat, go away. I don’t want to talk to you so just go to a corner.”

     “I can’t leave once I sense depression, meow!” Meowy started pawing and rubbing its head against Seven’s leg again, just like a real cat would. “Cheer up, meow!

     “Meowy,” The cat turned towards her and bounded towards the bed. “Let’s stay quiet for now, okay?”

     “That’s a voice I have to absolutely obey, meow.” Meowy stretched before laying down beside the bed and curled up into a ball. “That is how I’m programmed so system will shut down, meow… Shhh…!”

     “Whew… Finally it’s quiet.” He gave it one last glance before returning to work.

     Morrigan rolled over to the edge of the bed and peered down at the ‘sleeping’ robot cat. Seven had made a robot chat that detected depression and refused to stop trying to cheer up its master even when it rejected him. That was the saddest thing she had ever heard.

     Had Seven really been that lonely?

     On top of that, Seven had programmed it to recognise her voice. He had taken time he should have spent hunting down the hacker and finishing his agency work to create the cutest robot to try to alleviate loneliness and depression. He had taken the time to make it learn her voice and had programmed it to absolutely obey her.

     He had been thinking about her when he made it. At least a little bit. She wanted to say something, but she was still reeling from their last verbal conversation.

     She had been bored and spotted a book that Seven had brought with him. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and she picked it up to discover an unlabelled black floppy disk inside. When she commented on it, Seven had rushed from his laptop and yanked the book out of her hands.

     Then he lectured her for her curiosity and reminded her that she was in danger, he was dangerous, and had told her once again not to try getting close to him. The lecture was enough to nearly have her in tears.

     He claimed he did not want to get close to her at all and reminded her that they could not be family or even friends. He talked like their future was set in stone, not even giving her a chance to get close to him.

     He told her not to waste that chance on a guy like him. He refused her request to spend some time with her after he finished with work.

     In pain, Morrigan had backed off at his request to let him work in peace. She had not wanted to push him further. The wall he kept throwing up between them, brick by brick, would only crumble if she remained patient and weakened it.

     “Things didn’t go well with V in chat…” Unable to stand the silence and her own thoughts, Morrigan stroked the robotic cat. She needed to hear his voice and hoped he was willing to talk about the conversation they had with V. “Are you okay?”

     “Morri, I know it’s funny to say this after I told you to stop paying attention to me, but whatever happens…” He paused to find his words, letting the headphones slip from his head and turning to look at her. “Don’t trust what V says.”

     V had heard about the special security system and showed up to talk with them earlier that night. He claimed to have been in the mountains taking photographs and when he tried calling V, the red light signalling it was bugged kept turning on.

     “He told told me not to open the drawer because there’s something in there. Personal letters, he said.” Seven’s eyes moved past her and towards the drawer in question. “An alarm will ring if someone like you opens one of the drawers or one of the cabinets. But I can control the alarms, so if I want to, I can see everything… I’m sure logged in because he heard that I”m here and got nervous about something.”

     “Why don’t you open the drawers?” Morrigan followed his gaze to the drawer. She and Maria had been curious about the cabinets and draws in Rika’s apartment, but had never touched them after the initial request not to poke around. Now she wondered what was inside to have V come to specifically tell him not to touch it.

     “I will some day, but not right now. I’m sure that there’s something that an RFA member should never see…” Seven turned his eyes from the drawer and the mystery inside and focused on Morrigan’s profile. Although her hair shielded part of her face, his memory could fill in the details vividly. He had long since memorised the curve of her cheek. “Now that my trust in V is shattered I can barely keep sane at the moment.”

     It was strange. V had claimed to not doubt Seven, but was rather insistent about the drawer being left alone. Had he never mentioned it, Morrigan and Seven would not have given serious thought to opening it.

     “Seven… is there really nothing I can do to help?”

     “God… it’s nothing. I made you worry again. I don’t know what I”m blabbering right now…” He left his workspace to cross over to Meowy, picking the robotic up and staring down at it with shadowed eyes. “I feel like I should shut down instead of that cat. Anyways, don’t worry about that drawer. I’ll take care of it.”

     “I feel like there might really be love letters in there.” At least, she was hoping that was all that was. If that was the case, then V had told them the truth.

     “I hope it’s something like that…” Because the alternative would be that he had placed his trust in the wrong person. “From now on, I think you should forget everything related to RFA. Forget about the party. You’ll only be in danger by staying in some place like this. As soon as the hacker issue is solved, please leave.”

     “Seriously, Seven.” Morrigan sat up, letting her legs dangle over the edge of the bed. “Why are you trying to decide my future?”

     “I’m telling you this because I know much more than you do.” He crossed his arms. A stone cold wall was in place over his expression. No trace of warmth slipped past. “You are free to do whatever you want… but my thoughts will not change.”

     What was it going to take to get through to him?

“Even if you try to get involved with me, I will refuse everything. This is nothing for a person like you to be involved in… You’ll only end up getting hurt again.” Seven swallowed against the lump rising in his throat, refusing to let his voice betray him. He turned away to return to his work station. “Let’s please stop talking about this. for now on, if I have to tell you something concerning your safety, I’ll do it through the messenger… So just know it as that. I’m going to go work. Don’t bother me.”

     “You’re being too one sided.” His shoulders lifted and rose in a careless shrug and she pressed on. “Then what do I do about my feelings for you?”

     Seven’s entire body stiffened. Seconds passed achingly slow. He should ignore her. He should plop his rear down on the floor and get right back to work. He should slip his headphones back on over his ear and volume up to drown out her voice.

     He should do a lot of things, but instead he turned on his heel, emotions getting the better of him. She had to understand. He could not stand her pushing, chipping away at his walls. The danger she was insistently trying to put herself in.

     “I told you not to bother me! I don’t care about your feelings, alright!?” Morrigan flinched. Seven had never yelled at her before. Even when frustrated, he had never raised his voice. She found herself shirking away from him, her head beginning to ache. “Think about the fact that you’re living with a bomb right now. You’re already in danger, because of me and the RFA!”

     “S-Seven.” If he head her, he pretended not to.

     “There’s no guarantee that something more dangerous won’t happen in the future! And your chances of being in danger will multiply by being with a guy like me. Do you understand!?” His face was harsher than it had ever been before. “It’s not the time to go on about emotions. Just worry about staying alive! How can you stay so calm…! I can’t understand! If you get in danger again then I’ll…!”

     Seven was cracking. With the rush of anger and loud words his emotions was beginning to leak out from the box he had tried stuffing them in. The fissure of pain cracked him wide open and it was all he could do to prevent himself from pulling her into his arms and apologising for yelling.

     “Seven, I know that you’re worried about me…” Her voice shook and she cleared her throat in an attempt to steady it. “So don’t avoid me, please?”

     “Haha…” The laugh was broken and on the verge of hysterical. “You’re free to think whatever you want, but seriously… stop it. After your safe and the hacker thing gets solved, we’ll never see each other again. So stop wasting your emotions on me. I don’t deserve it… It’s all a waste.”

     Seven was losing it. She was pale and her eyes were wide, the mint liquid with unshed tears. He was no better. He closed his fist, hoping to hide the way he was shaking. He was doing the right thing, right? Hurting them both to prevent her from being hurt further.

     It just felt so bad.

     “Damn… don’t look at me like that! God! This won’t do…” Seven could not stand seeing her face for a moment longer. He needed to put some actual physical distance between them. A difficult feat since having her out of his sight made him anxious over her well-being. “I’m going to go out to the hallway…”

     “Y-you don’t have to do that.”

     “I’m going to come in when you’re sleeping…” Seven put one foot in front of the other, forcing himself to walk to the bedroom door. “So meanwhile, sort out your emotions.”


	24. Day 9 - Longing

      There was a lot that was plaguing Seven and he truly thought he might go crazy. His head and heart ached and he had never felt so lost before. Even through the closed doors he could hear Morrigan mutter to herself in the bedroom. He could hear the pain in her voice and the tears she tried to smother.

      The conversation they had with V did not help matters. The presence of the drawer seemed to be prominent in his eyesight as if lit up by neon lights. V might have claimed it was just personal letters, and God knew Seven hoped that was the case, but he had a feeling it was not.

      V had been flustered instead of his calm self. He was adamant about him staying out of that drawer. And when Saeran’s name was mentioned… V was really flustered then too. Seven could not erase the suspicion, the distrust that was filing him. After everything that had gone on, how could he trust him?

      As the bastard sons of a rich figure he only knew through television and a mother cold enough to blackmail him for money, threatening to reveal the truth of his affair, Seven and his brother had a terrible childhood. Their father wanted to get rid of them, to forget they existed, so they did not interfere with his aims to be elected into some office.

      V had been the one to suggest Seven join the agency, back when he was still Saeyoung. He promised they would erase his identity, lending him protection from the men sent by his father and his mother’s abuse. Abandon his name an life as Saeyoung, something Seven was more than willing to do in exchange for the freedom and protection he offered. The path to independence so he and Saeran could live happily.

      He had to leave Saeran to join the agency, but v had promised he and Rika would take care of him. He promised to save Saeran. He had said they wanted to make both of them happy.

      They had lied to him.

      He had come face to face with a brother twisted so much by a cult that Seven could hardly recognise him. He had seen what the world had done from him, heard from his own lips the bitterness and anger caused by abandonment. Heard from Morrigan’s lips how fucked up the cult who had gotten their claws into him was.

      He had ended up in the RFA chat in the wee hours of the morning, sometime after two in the morning.

 

 **707** : Morri…  
 **707** : Why are you still up?  
 **Morrigan** : I was thinking about what you said to me earlier…  
 **707** : I must have hurt your feelings.

 

No shit, Sherlock. He had been hurting her feelings on a regular basis since appearing in the apartment.

  
 **707** : I had no choice… that’s the truth.  
 **707** : From now on, if I have anything important to say, I’ll say it here.  
 **707** : I have something to tell your regarding your safety.  
 **707** : I said a lot of things to V, but I meant the last thing I said and that will not change.  
 **707** : I no longer trust V.  
 **707** : And his is just a suggestion… but I don’t think you should trust V either.  
 **707** : For your safety.  
Morrigan: Shouldn’t you explain to the RFA members about Saeran now?  
 **707** : Yes… I came here to do that.  
 **707** : Now that it’s all out, I have to tell everyone how Saeran is related to V. I want everyone to make their own judgement on V.

 

      Although Morrigan was the only one in chat, he knew the others would see the messages. It was not easy to talk, but he found himself feeling a little better with each bit of true. He told them Saeran was his twin brother, who he parted ways with due to family issues that he did not go into details on. He told them about V getting him started with the agency which had him part with his family and that V had promised to take good care of Saeran.

      He thought V was his saviour, but after finding out the one who hacked the app, brought Morrigan and Maria into this mess, sent those strange invites to the others, and infiltrated the special security system was all Saeran. He tried to get an explanation from V in chat, but the photographer lied about him and tried to avoid talking to him.

      Seven did not care about the party anymore. He wanted to collect more information on Mint Eye, run out right now, and visit there himself. From now on he would not take orders from anyone. Not V. Not the agency. He would act on his own - something which Morrigan agreed was the best option for him.

      Time passed and he heard the bed squeak as Morrigan settled down to sleep. He waited, feeling the minutes drag on, before he peeked his head inside. The woman’s sleeping habits were nearly as bad as his and when she did sleep, sometimes she tossed fitfully and made noises of fright that broke his heart.

      Now, however, she was sleeping peacefully.

      “You’ve been talking all day, but you’re so quiet now that you’re sleeping.” Seven leaned down, his fingers brushing her wild purple hair. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair but told himself he had to be satisfied with this. This distance that only made his loneliness deeper. “You’re so weird, you know that?”

      She did not stir in her sleep nor did she answer him.

      “I must have hurt you by saying all those things, but you still managed to be bright.” She was so strong, even if he had made her cry. The chat never saw her tears or the trouble she was facing. She offered them advice, cheered them up, and assured them of her safety. Even with him, when the mask was lowered, she still remained a source of positivity, determined to break through the darkness swallowing him. “You can get angry at me, but seeing you reminds me of the 707 I am in the messenger.”

      He wished he could be the 707 he was in the messenger. Bright, cheerful, and careless.

      “You’re really like 707… I suppose you and Saeyoung are nothing alike.” She was light where he was dark, even after everything that she had been put through. His hand moved to brush her hair out of her face, admiring her sleeping profile. “Saeyoung is so dark and pessimistic that he cannot be with you… I want you to know that.”

      Yet he was a coward, unable to say that when she was awake.

      “I can no longer wear the mask of the happy-go-lucky 707. This complicated and icy person is me.” He closed his eyes and pulled his hand away from her. “I want you to realise that and be disappointed. So please don’t waste your feelings on me. I’m not a fun, cool person… I can put you in danger.”

      He could imagine how she would react if she could hear him now. She would argue and disagree. She would keep fighting against him. She really was stubborn.

      “You’re a strange person so you won’t understand what I say.” A heavy sigh left his lips. “So I think I’ll end up hurting you again tomorrow morning.”

      Reaching down, he pulled up the covers that had slipped down over her torso. He took his time, carefully tucking her in so that she would stay comfortable during the night.

      “No, you’re not a strange person. The strange one is me.” He longed so desperately to be closer to her. To wrap her in his arms and never let go. “You’re actually so warm and nice.”

       “Sometimes I dream about you some day accepting the real me.” He sat down on the bed beside her, close enough to just barely feel the warmth of her sleeping body, but not close enough to touch. “Of course it’s a ridiculous dream… but thank you for letting me dream at least.”

      Maybe the dream was enough to keep him going, to keep him from breaking completely over the years of strife and emptiness he saw in front of him.

      “Morrigan… Please remember in your dreams. Don’t trust V… and even me. Don’t give your feelings to anyone in the RFA. Please be less nice to me… so you won’t be hurt when I disappear. Don’t trust anyone and stay safe. And forget about me and be happy.” He choked on his emotions but did not wipe away the tear that trailed down his face. He ached so badly at the thought of her forgetting him, but she needed to. He could live with the pain of letting her go, of her forgetting. As long as she was happy. “Letting me protect you… is more than I deserve. That is enough for Saeyoung.”

      It was not, but it had to be.

 

#

 

      Zen was a perfect gentleman. He picked her up from the convenience store, offered to buy her dinner on the way back to his house, and gave up his bed for her to sleep. He apologised for the lack of food in his house and offered to go shopping during the night while she rested so that she would have plenty to eat for breakfast.

      He did not ask what Yoosung had done to run her out of the house, though she could tell he was curious about it. She saw the way he glanced at her like he wanted to say something, but was good enough about not mentioning it.

      Over breakfast, which he had insisted on cooking for her, he chatted about work. The managers and his coworkers were all friendly, though some of them were a bit too flirtatious. Not that he blamed them since he was so handsome - something that had Maria giggling despite herself, much to Zen’s pleasure.

      “Aha! There we go. I finally get to see the princess’ smile!” Zen beamed at her, the attention making her blush. “You’ve got a beautiful smile, Maria.”

      “T-thanks.” She looked down at her plate bashfully. She should have expected him to be charmingly flirtatious like he had been in chat, but facing it in person was a whole new thing.

      “I know my place isn’t the best and probably isn’t as comfortable as Yoosung’s, if there’s anything you need just let me know.”

      “Oh no, it’s fine.” Maria waved off his generosity, her blush deepening. “I’ve already troubled you enough as it is. I’m really sorry about that.”

      “Really, it’s no problem. I’m happy to be able to help you out.” He stood to collect their dirty dishes. When she protested he gave her a charming smile and insisted it was his duty as host to take care of her.

      “I have rehearsal later today but if you need anything feel free to call or text me.” He told her as he carried the dishes to the sink and rinsed them off. “Even if it’s just to talk.”

      “Thanks, again.” She was starting to sound like a broken record. Unable to just sit around as a guest in someone’s house, she hurried to the kitchen to help him with the dishes.

      It was soothing, the familiar chore. The silence between them, broken by the clink, splashing, and wiping of the dishes as Zen washed and she dried, was companionable. She found herself growing more at ease in the motions of the household task.

      “Are you okay?” Zen’s voice made her look up to see that he was gazing at her with a look of concern on his handsome face.

      “Yeah, I’m good.” She blushed and stared down at the dish in her hand, drying it again before setting it aside in the dish rack. Without the distraction of the dishes there was no excuse to not look at him.

      “May I ask… What happened yesterday?” He offered her a kind smile. “Did Yoosung do something?”

      “He didn’t do anything. He just… said something.” She sighed and nodded towards the living room. “Can we sit?”

      “Of course.” He offered her his arm like a gallant prince and she accepted it with a laugh. He escorted her to the sofa and they sat down on opposite ends. “Do you wanna tell me or should I hazard a guess?”

      “Go ahead and guess.”

      “He’s too innocent to say anything overly inappropriate…” Zen paused as he considered the possible things Yoosung might have said before making his guess. “My guess is… He compared you to Rika.”

      “Yeah.” She sighed and drew her legs up to curl into the corner of the couch. “I had thought that maybe… Well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. He never really saw me for me.”

      “I warned him not to do that.” Zen sighed and opened his arm. “Do you want a hug?”

      “Kind of yeah,” She scooted over and let him wrap her up in his arms. It was not like her to need physical contact from someone like this, after everything she had been through and was still going through, she appreciated the comforting warmth. He smelled nice too. Earthy and manly, with a slight touch of sweetness. “You’re a narcissist, you’re not half bad.”

      “Gee, thanks.” He took it with good-natured ease and gave her a gentle squeeze. “God was really generous. Not only am I this handsome, but I’m a good person.”

      “Shut up.” Maria bit back a giggle. “Even though it is true.”

      “Oh, you think I’m handsome?” She did not need to see his face to know he was smiling. “I’ve heard that from others, but hearing it from you makes me happy, princess.”

      “Why did I come here again instead of going to Jumin’s?” The question was half teasing as she pulled back. Zen really was rather charming. “Don’t you have to leave soon?”

      “Oh,” He glanced towards the clock on the wall and sighed. “I do. Are you going to be okay on your own?”

      “I’ll be fine.” Maria watched him leave the living room, heading off into his bedroom to get ready for the day.

      She had not put much thought into leaving Yoosung’s place nor had she put a lot of thought into choosing Zen over Jumin. She knew Zen better than the director of C$R, so that was definitely a factor in making him her first choice. The latter, which crossed her mind as she lay in Zen’s bed, was that she figured it would make Yoosung jealous.

      Petty, but he kind of deserved it for being so stupid.

      By the time that Zen exited his room, dressed and polished up for rehearsal, Maria had her nose in a story that she was reading on her mobile. He paused in his doorway, unnoticed by her, and took a moment to admire the beauty relaxing on his couch.

      She was such a sweet woman, one who appreciated his good looks, but was not shy about yanking him back down to earth every now and then. He could appreciate that. No, he did appreciate that.

      It also helped that she was utterly gorgeous. Soft womanly curves and the cutest smile he had ever seen. That smile of hers, the few times he had seen it, blew him away. How Yoosung could ever mix her up with Rika was something he would never understand.

      But one man’s loss is another man’s gain.

      “Maria.” She looked up from her phone, surprised to see that the tall actor had approached her without her noticing. He knelt down in front of her and took her hand in his.

      “Um… Zen?” Maria’s cheeks flushed dark and she gave him a confused look.

      “I know that your heart has been claimed by someone else…” He gave her a warm, nervous smile. “But I’m going to take this opportunity to let you know that I’m going to try to win it for myself.”

      “W-what?” She was shocked, her tongue tied in knots and her stomach doing a little flip. Was he serious?

      “Until last night, I had accepted that you might not be my princess…” He lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed a chaste kiss to her knuckles. “But now, I’ve been given a second chance and I intend not to waste it.”

      Zen released her hand and stood. The blush of pink dusted across his cheekbones only added to his beauty. Seriously, he was too handsome for his own good and Maria’s brain was fried at that moment.

      “I’ll see you in a few hours, princess.” He blew her a kiss. “Until then, think of me.~”

      Maria did not stir from her spot until he left. She had never thought that any of Zen’s flirtations had any seriousness behind it, but after that little speech she knew otherwise. He had never said anything so why now?

      No, she knew why. Yoosung had hurt her and left a crack in her heart’s defences. Zen had saw that as an opportunity to come in and try to sweep her off her feet and steal her heart.

      As much as she cared for Yoosung, even now after the revelation that he saw Rika in her, she had not turned Zen away. His proclamation had flustered her, but it had also made her kind of happy. It was then that she realised that as much as she did like Yoosung, Zen actually did have a shot at stealing her heart.

      What kind of crazy soap operatic otome game had her life turned into?


	25. Day 9 - Sisterly Talk

**Morrigan** : I’m sure the last conversation is difficult to take in;;  
 **Maria** : Just a bit.  
 **Zen** : 100% correct  
 **Morrigan** : Mar-mar, how are you doing btw?  
 **Maria** : Better.  
 **Zen** : Good to hear, princess. <3  
 **Maria** : <//<  
 **Morrigan** : Hmmm.  
 **Jumin Han has entered the chat.**  
 **Zen** : Oh. Jumin.  
 **Jumin** : Ya.  
 **Morrigan** : I’m sure you’re shocked at Seven’s story too…  
 **Jumin** : Ya.  
 **Zen** : Can you seriously say ‘ya’ in this situation? God seriously!

 

      Morrigan peeked up from her phone, checking on Seven who was busily typing away at his laptop. He had been quiet all morning, save for muttering to himself as he typed.

      The chat continued on with the others expressing shock at what they had learned about Saeran and V. Trust was shaky but Zen and Jumin were still trying to see the best in V. The conversation turned the family, then Mint Eye, before returning to the party.

      Jumin wanted to continue planning it despite all of the dangers and troubles they had faced. He felt that not having the party would ruin the RFA and even said he and Jaehee would handle it themselves if they had to. Even Zen had to agree with him - stopping the party would spell the end of the RFA.

 

 **Zen** : What if V did something really wrong to Seven’s brother???  
 **Zen** : So complicated!!!  
 **Morrigan** : We can only speculate right now…  
 **Morrigan** : Mar-mar, how’s things at Zen’s?  
 **Morrigan** : He treating you well?  
 **Zen** : Of course I am.  
 **Maria** : He’s been a perfect gentleman.  
 **Morrigan** : Good to hear. ^.^  
 **Maria** : Zen, aren’t you at rehearsals?  
 **Zen** : On break right now while they run through scenes I’m not in.  
 **Morrigan** : Gawd. It’s so weird to think of my precious baby sister at your place, Zenny!  
 **Zen** : Why mine but not Yoosungs?  
 **Morrigan** : Oh, that was weird too. Just a different kind of weird.  
 **Maria** : -_- Wherever your mind is going, hit the brakes.  
 **Maria** : I don’t even want to know what you’re thinking.  
 **Morrigan** : Ahh, but I was going to make a slideshow!  
 **Zen** : No way.  
 **Maria** : Don’t put it past her.  
 **Maria** : She once made a slideshow complete with inspirational music detailing why she thought my shoes sucked.  
 **Morrigan** : That one was definitely one of my best.  
 **Morrigan** : And those shoes were straight up horrible.  
 **Maria** : That’s why you borrowed them.  
 **Morrigan** : Horrible on you. Baller on me.  
 **Maria** : -_-

 

#

      “Morri, you better pick up the phone…” Maria grumbled as she listen to the line ring. It was the second time she had called her that morning, but her sister was doing goodness knows what. Hopefully not preparing another slideshow.

      Click.

      “Yo, Mar-mar, I was just about to dial you back!” Morrigan chirped into the phone. “How’s it going at Zen’s?”

      “I told him what happened with Yoosung.” She wandered into the kitchen and poked her head in the fridge. The actor had restocked it during the night so it was not hard to find a bottle of juice. Maria poured herself glass before shoving the bottle back into it’s place. “Well, more like he guessed. Apparently he warned Yoo not to do that.”

      “Zen may seem like he’s all into himself, but he can be pretty observant at times.” Morrigan hummed thoughtfully and caught Seven giving her a quick glance. “So, so how’d he handle that?”

      “Just offered me a hug and made me laugh.” Maria shrugged, not thinking that Morrigan could not see her body language. “Total gentleman. Didn’t push me to spill all the beans, was a perfect host, and all that…”

      “I hear a ‘but’ in there.”

      “But before he left for rehearsal he…” She blushed and her tongue tied up. Maria drank some juice and tried again. “He told me he was going to try to win my heart.”

      “Well, tie me up and call me Betty, that’s unexpected.” Morrigan’s voice was filled with amusement and she was beaming into the phone. “Look at you, having two boys wanting your affection.”

      “I don’t think we can say Yoosung does at this point.” Maria pointed out, her pleasure at the attention dying out. Stomach feeling heavy she set her juice aside. “I don’t really know how I feel about this, Morri.”

      “Mixed. Complicated. Confused. Little bit thrilled. Embarrassed as all fuck.” Morrigan ticked them off one by one with her fingers. “Am I warm?”

      “Blazing.”

      “That’s because I’m awesome~!”

      “Seriously though. This is driving me nuts.” Maria tried not to smile at her sister’s ability to be cheerful when things were going strange, bad, or just straight up complicated. “I’m hurting right now because of Yoosung. You know felt about him. Then Zen comes along and says something like that, putting these thoughts into my head…”

      “So, does our lovely Zen have a shot?”

      “Maybe? I don’t know.” Maria heaved a sigh, rubbing her hand against her face. “I could kind of see myself falling for him.”

      “Hmmmm.” Again, Morrigan’s hum drew Seven’s gaze away from his laptop. “Only time will tell.”

      “I guess so.” Maria needed something else to think about. Turning her thoughts away from Yoosung and Zen, she fixated on Morrigan and Seven. Although the sisters had stayed in contact, Maria felt like she did not even know half of what was going on with the pair. She just knew that they were not exactly lovely dovey. “What’s going in with you and Seven?”

      “Ahh, stuff.” She glanced towards Seven to see his attention was back on his work. As casually as she could she slid off the bed and headed to the kitchen. “He’s been working hard, you know?”

      “That’s not what I was asking about.” Maria blinked. “Are you not wanting to talk about it in front of him?”

      “Not really.” She slipped inside the kitchen and checked behind her to see Seven had not followed. Now that she was out of earshot she felt it easier to speak. “Right. I’m in the kitchen now… So, he’s been pushing me away at every given chance. Constantly reminding me he’s dangerous and can’t return my feelings, yada yada.”

      “Ouch.”

      “Yeah, I know. It’s okay though.” Morrigan sunk down into a chair and propped her elbow up on the table. “You know me. I don’t give up easily. That and how can I after meeting Meowy?”

      “Do I even want to know who or what Meowy is?” Maria frowned as she tried to read her sister’s tone, wishing she were there in person. There was only so much she could glean over the phone. Sometimes Morrigan was too go at sounding level.

      “Cutest robot cat in existence. Seven made it.”

      “…He’s insane.”

      “It’s programmed to turn on when it senses depression.” Morrigan told her. “And it tried to cheer him up.”

      “Ahh man, that’s heavy.” She could only imagine how her sister must have felt seeing something like that. “He must’ve been pretty lonely to build something like that.”

      “I think so, yeah.” The purple-haired woman ran her fingers through her hair, snagging a small tangle and making a note to comb it before returning to the bedroom. “Get this. He programmed it to obey me completely.”

      “What?”

      “Yeah, it knows my voice and listens to me better than it does him.” She thought about the little cat that was still shut down, curled up in a ball beside her bed. “I wonder why it does that.”

      “Maybe he was thinking about giving it to you.” Maria could see Seven doing something like that. Before the whole special security fiasco he was having a lot of trouble focusing on anything other than Morrigan. It was not a far stretch to think that he made the robot during that time with the idea of giving it to her one day.

      “Who knows.” Morrigan frowned when she finally realised Maria had turned the conversation onto herself and Seven. “Hey! We were talking about you. You changed subjects on me. Single lady with two potential would-be boyfriends! Hello, big news there!”

      “Guilty~!” Maria admitted with a wide smile, not at all ashamed at it. “Just didn’t want to think about my sort of, not exactly triangle.”

      “I get that, I do.” The older sister drummed her nails against the table, lost in thought for a moment. “Oi, call me when you figure your thoughts more about that mess or if one of your guys does something interesting, alright?”

      “Of course.” If she did not call, then her sister would find out eventually. Her phone blipped and she glanced at the screen to see she had a call coming in from Zen. “Oh, Zen’s calling. I’ll ring you back later?”

      “Right-o. Tell Zenny I said hi.”

      “Will do. Love ya, sis.”

      “Love you too, Mar-mar.”


	26. Day 9 - Breaking Point

**707** : Jumin… plans to keep going with the party…  
 **707** : But the RFA won’t mean anything now that the leader is a liar.  
 **707** : I guess he’s still hoping.  
 **Yoosung** has entered the chatroom.  
 **Yoosung** : Seven!! Are you okay?  
 **Yoosung** : How’s your sanity? Okay?  
 **707** : Yeah. Don’t worry about me.  
 **707** : Just be careful.  
 **Yoosung** : T_T  
 **Yoosung** : Oh.  
 **Yoosung** : Hey Morri.  
 **Morrigan** : You understand how Seven feels, right?  
 **Morrigan** : And have you sorted your shit out yet?  
 **Yoosung** : I thought about it most of last night.  
 **Yoosung** : I’m still sure about that stuff…  
 **Yoosung** : And I can’t trust V. T_T  
 **Yoosung** : Seven! Is there anything I can do with catching the hacker or finding information?

 

      Yoosung was determined to throw himself into the dirty work and Seven adamantly refused. Even if it was just finding information, it was still far too risky. His trust had been shaken to the core as it way. He was not sure he could even trust Yoosung, the closest thing he had to a real friend.

      More importantly, he did not want anyone else at risk so he firmly rejected the offer

  
 **Morrigan** : Still, don’t you think there will be something he can help with?  
 **Yoosung** : Yeah.  
 **Yoosung** : Seven, I really mean it.  
 **Yoosung** : I can put myself at risk if it’s to find the truth!

 

      That was what he was afraid of and why he really did not want Yoosung to help. Once again he turned down the offer and reminded him that not only was the situation dangerous but the RFA was already steeped in V’s secrets. None of them knew what else he might have been hiding.

      Yoosung claimed that he could handle it, that he was strong enough, but Seven continued to refuse his help. Even if Yoosung strong enough, Seven would only end up weakened by his friend’s presence.

      He needed to be empty and cold to get his work done. He did not need to worry about people he was never supposed to have in his life to begin with.

  
 **707** : You’re seriously being pathetic right now…  
 **707** : I’m not just working for the RFA now. I’m working to find my brother.  
 **Yoosung** : It’s all the same thing right now.   
**Yoosung** : We must all help each other get through this!  
 **707** : I don’t want to get help from anyone in the RFA… and never will.  
 **707** : Besides, I plan to leave RFA as soon as Morrigan’s safety is secured.  
 **Yoosung** : What?  
 **Yoosung** : akjh  
 **707** : I was about to mention it soon.  
 **Yoosung** : Wait.  
 **Morrigan** : Seven, are you serious?  
 **Yoosung** : Seven… What’s up with you?  
 **Yoosung** : You’re upset with V, right?

 

      He was, but there was a lot more to it than just that. It was not that simple at all. Seven was forced to swallow his emotions, brush aside Yoosung’s sympathy with how he felt about V, and gave them the coldest explanation for his future departure as possible.

      Seven never had a choice in the matter. He was a secret agent who had his past erased. He was whomever the agency wished him to be. Name after name, home after home, with nothing to truly call his own.

  
 **707** : I should have said that this would be the ending all along.  
 **Yoosung** : What are you talking about…?  
 **707** : I am sorry to mention it so abruptly…  
 **707** : But I’m going to disappear soon anyways, even feeling sorry is meaningless.  
 **Yoosung** : Seven…  
 **Yoosung** : this si sriuosyl  
 **Yoosung** : Seven, I get that you’re really mad at V.   
**707** : No… It’s not just that.  
 **707** : I’ve always been like this.  
 **Yoosung** : Seven.  
 **Yoosung** : I’m getting mad.  
 **707** : As you know, I can never have an identity.  
 **707** : So having friends is only temporary.  
 **Yoosung** : You’re saying that all the time we spent together was just temporary?   
**707** : Yes.  
 **Morrigan** : That’s too harsh…

 

      Seven’s face was growing colder with each passing moment, but the colder his face was the more pain in his golden eyes. He hated doing this. It seemed all he was doing lately was hurting people he cared about.

      Morrigan bit her lip to keep from saying anything. He had said similar things to her before, so she can imagine how Yoosung was feeling.

      Yoosung was hurt and lashing out with anger. He as being told that everything the two of them had shared, the movies they watched together, conversations they had were all temporary memories that would become meaningless to Seven.

  
 **707** : I’m saying the same thing, but I was supposed to disappear in the first place.   
**Morrigan** : So my feelings mean nothing to you, Seven…?  
 **707** : No, it doesn’t.  
 **Yoosung** : Seven… Morri might feel hurt!  
 **Yoosung** : You were always so cold?  
 **707** : Yeah.  
 **Yoosung** : I’m so shocked.   
**Yoosung** : Who are you…?  
 **Yoosung** : What the hell do you do!?  
 **707** : You don’t know anything.  
 **Yoosung** : Who are you to do this?  
 **707** : Where I was born  
 **Yoosung** : Why are you deciding everything on your own!?  
 **707** : Who my parents are  
 **707** : what V’s been telling me…  
 **707** : What I do at the intelligence agency.  
 **707** : You don’t know anything about me.

 

      Morrigan had already met this side of Seven. It had been the Seven that showed up in the doorstep of the apartment, hidden beneath layers of emotional trauma caused by Saeran’s infiltration. He was cold and harsh, a broken man pushing everyone away.

  
 **Yoosung** : The Seven I know was always bright and fun, did everything he had to do,   
**707** : I’m not that person.  
 **Yoosung** : and always said weird things.  
 **Yoosung** : But he was still warm and kind.  
 **Yoosung** : Always worried abouts despite all the work,  
 **707** : I said it’s all temporary!  
 **Yoosung** : And helped Zen succeed from the back,  
 **Yoosung** : That’s the seven I know…  
 **707** : So what?  
 **Yoosung** : What do you mean so what!?  
 **Yoosung** : I want to ask you this.  
 **Yoosung** : Unless you erase my memories, I will never be able to forget you!  
 **Morrigan** : Yoosung…   
**Yoosung** : I never thought that the Seven I know would say these things…  
 **Yoosung** : I’m so jealous that it’s so easy for you to forget about us and live a new life when we can’t.  
 **707** : Yoosung,  
 **707** : Morri,  
 **Yoosung** : It hurts so much.  
 **Yoosung** : Why are you…  
 **707** : Stop it.  
 **707** : Both of you would never understand me.  
 **707 has left the chat.**  
 **Yoosung** : …  
 **Morrigan** : Yoosung… are you okay?  
 **Yoosung** : I’m sorry, Morri.  
Yoosung: I’ll get going.  
 **Yoosung has left the chat.**

 

      Seven dropped his phone and stared at the screen in front of him, the once familiar and comforting coding blurring. He could feel Morrigan’s eyes on him. He did not need to look to imagine the expression on her face. Her sweet lips would be down-turned in a worried frown. She would be full of sympathy he did not deserve. He could even imagine the way her brow would furrow and her teeth would catch her lip to keep herself from berating him.

      He dug his nails into his fist as he tried not to think about her, Yoosung, or anything else. He had work to do. This was is life. Moving from place to place, working with ever-changing codes, and hurting anyone who dared to get close to them.

      And he hated it.

#

      “Cheer up, meow!” The robotic cat stirred from it’s slumber beside the bed and stretched before shuffling towards where Seven sat in front of his laptop and equipment. “You’re with the person you like, meow!”

      Morrigan looked over from the book she had her nose buried in. The white robotic reached Seven’s side and pawed at his leg. The hacker slash secret agent in question blushed a red to rival his hair and his face hardened in frustration. Fingers pausing on the keyboard, he glared down at the device.

      “I turn on when I sense depression, meow.” Seven had made the robotic cat too well to detect his mood without his saying a word. “You’re with the person you like, meow!”

      Seven flinched as the cat outed him, sprouting the emotions he had been trying hard to ignore. It kept meowing at him, reminding him of how close he was to Morrigan, which only emphasise how apart they were. It was only an echoing, meowing reminder of everything he would have to walk away from.

      Next thing he knew, the cat was flying across the room. It slammed into the wall and shattered. Startled by the sudden violence, Morrigan hurried over to where Meowy landed. A few garbled noises vaguely sounding like meows came from the machine before it finally died.

      “I think it’s broken…” Understatement of the century since it was in multiple pieces. She began to carefully gather them up, trying not to miss even the smallest piece. “Can I fix it?”

      “Just leave it. It’s useless.” He glanced at her, frowning as he saw her picking up the pieces and setting them gently aside on the end table. “I’ll throw it away later.”

      “I wish you wouldn’t..” Morrigan finished cleaning up the cat and double-checked the floor for anything small she might have missed. “It was just trying to cheer you up.”

      “I’ll be leaving soon.” Seven’s voice drew her gaze. “So just forget about me.”

      “I’m sure you’re just upset over Yoosung!” She stood up and gave him a big smile. “Cheer up!”

      “Don’t think about me.” His frown deepened as he stared up at her. What was she doing worrying about the way he was feeling when they were living with a bomb and had a cult looming threateningly in the shadows. “Just think about protecting yourself!”

      “I can protect myself so don’t worry~!” She struck a pose to emphasise her not at all impressive biceps. “I’m pretty strong.”

      “Is that what you really think?” He got to his feet and gave her bicep a squeeze, making her smile fall and face flush. “You don’t have a care in the world regardless off what’s going on. You keep smiling and pushing and talking to me.”

      “I just want to be with you,” Morrigan took a deep breath and released it. “Because I like you. Is that so hard to understand?”

      “How many times do I have to repeat myself? I can’t be with you. We can’t be anything together! Everything that surrounds me… They are all things that will disappear from the temporary by secret agent named 707.” Tears filled his eyes, making them glisten, but he refused to let them fall. Not in front of her. If he let them fall, she would try to comfort him and she did not need that right now. He was barely holding on as it was. “My house, my cars, RFA, you, this place, everything. One day they will all disappear like the morning fog. A real life, real things I can have… don’t ever think and hope those things can exist.

      “Seven…” His name fell from her lips like a plead and he swallowed hard.

      “Yoosung, Morri, Maria, all the members, even if you say that you like me… my life… my life can’t embrace anything…” His hands balled into a fist at his side and there was a weakness in his voice he hated. “You don’t know how it feels to live that kind of life.”

      She opened her mouth to speak but he held up his hand to stop her. No, he did not need to hear her voice right now. The sympathy, the warmth, the love… He could not handle that right now.

      “Don't’ be nice to me when you don’t know anything. Please… get away from me. Just leave me alone. The person you like is the 707 in the chatroom, not me…!” He turned his back on her, fully intending to return to his work. He could put on his headphones and turn the music up. Drown out the temptations of a life he could never have.

      “Then please let me understand the person in front of me!” Warmth enclosed him from behind and he looked down to see her arms locked tightly around his waist. Her body was flush against him and he could feel her breath even through the fabric of his hoodie.

      She had hugged him from behind, clinging tightly, and he felt the hot fall of tears over his cheeks. He needed to pull away, needed that distance to return them, but he could not. He was completely and utterly disarmed and felt his weak defences crumbling.

      “Morri… why are you doing this to me? I told you. Even if you say that… I can’t embrace anything.” No matter how much he wished he could. He was so weak when it came to her. “My life was wrong from the beginning. It’s a life that’s dangerous and filled with lies. I couldn’t even protect my one and only brother and I have to abandon the person I like…”

      Morrigan said nothing. She just held onto him. He was shaking so hard and her heart broke for him, for what he was saying. No one should live like that. He certainly did not deserve to live like that.

      “My life is good for nothing. I don’t want to involve you in that kind of life…” His voice cracked with emotion. Desperation, fear, longing, and more neither of them could name. “Why can’t you understand me?”

      “I like the Seven that’s in front of my eyes.” Her voice was slightly muffled by his broad back, but she knew he could hear her. Even if she whispered, she knew he would be able to hear her. “Regardless of how complicated your life is, I want to know.”

      “Morri, don’t do this, please…” His fingers brushed over her hand, intending to pry it off, but he could not bring himself to do that. Everything was so complicated, confusing, and painful that his brain had turned into screaming white noise. He did not know what to do. “I… I… I cherish you… I want to make you happy… but I can’t! Why do you want to be with me when I’m so dangerous? Why do you like me?”

      She was quiet for a long moment and he felt her shrug.

      “There is no reason. I just like you.” She gave him a light squeeze and his heart jumped in his chest. “That’s how I feel.”

      Seven was breaking apart. The tears were coming faster now and he had no way of stopping them. He had been under constant assault for her from the start. Even before he had come to the apartment. Her texts, her phone calls, her messages in the chat. He did not know when he started looking forward to seeing her face in the CCTV feed or hearing her voice, but he did. She had wormed into his mind and heart.

      “…You’re impossible, Morrigan. You’re so strange. I feel like I’m going strange too.” He closed his eyes and tried to make sense of the noise in his head. It was bounding in time with his heart, each beat breaking him down and making his tumble further apart. “Why aren’t you giving up?! Why aren’t you getting hurt and abandoning me?! What are you going to do if something happens to you because of me?!”

      “I’m okay with that…” She shifted to lay her hand over the one on hers, entangling her fingers with his. She felt they were standing on some kind of ledge. “I don’t regret my feelings towards you.”

      “I don’t know anymore…” Seven opened his eyes to look down at their fingers, joined over his stomach. She was warm, so warm. Could she hear the defeat in his voice? Did she know how badly she was tearing him apart? “Do what you want. No matter how much I push you away, I can’t do anything about your feelings. Nothing good will happen by being close to me… it’ll be too late to regret it later.”

      “There’s no way I’ll regret being with the person I like.” Morrigan smiled and loosened her hold on him. He flinched, already missing her warmth and nearly refused to let go of her hand.

      “You shouldn’t say that so easily. Damn… Why are you saying that?! Why are you putting me in trouble?” Morrigan stepped in front of him and he choked on his emotions. He could not fight when she claimed his hand again and reached up to brush the tears from his face. “I told myself I would never want to be close to someone… but you’re making me feel complicated… I can’t believe that you’re getting to me. God… What am I supposed to do now?”

      “First, take some time and think about accepting me.” Her advice was so simple but so complicated at the same time.

      “Alright,” Morrigan smiled at his words. “I need time…”

      “Okay.” She nodded in understanding and gave his hand a gentle squeeze before releasing him and stepping back. “Then I’ll wait.”


	27. Day 9 - Getting to Know You

      “Hello princess! I’m home~!” Zen half-sang the words as he entered the house with a takeout bag in each hand. He found Maria lounging in front of the television, half watching the soap opera on the screen and half paying attention to some mobile game she was playing.

      “Hey Zen.” She looked up and gave him a bashful smile that made his heart leap. “Oh, you picked up dinner?”

      “Yeah. I didn’t know what you wanted so yeah…” A blush rose in his pale cheeks as he set the bags down on he coffee table and sunk down onto the couch beside her. “How are you feeling? You weren’t too bored without me, were you?”

      “Nah, I’m good.” Maria leaned forward to set her phone down onto the table. “Did you catch up on the chats yet? Yoosung and Seven got into it.”

      “Haven’t seen that yet.” The mention of his competition made him stiffen slightly. He brushed aside feelings of jealousy and focused on his concern for this fellow RFA members. “What happened?”

      “Seven was really, really cold.” She preceded to give him a rundown of what had happened in the chat. She had missed it completely since it when on while she was soaking in the tub.

      “That’s not like him.” Now he was really worried about the hacker and Morrigan. Had he been that cold to Morrigan?

      “Apparently that was the real him.” Maria’s frown deepened as she thought about how difficult things must have been for Morrigan. She had not gone into very many details, but Maria had never imagined Seven was really that cold. “Morrigan didn’t seem surprised by it. She was pretty quiet in that chat though.”

      “Why didn’t she tell you?”

      “She did. I was on the phone with her earlier and she told me he was pushing her away a lot.” Maria sighed and rubbed her fingers against her eyes. “But she kind of brushed it off and told me she was okay, so I underestimated it.”

      “I guess she didn’t want you to worry.” Zen draped his arm over the edge of the couch. It brushed lightly over her shoulders and they both blushed, but ignored it for the time being. “And you probably shouldn’t. If anyone can deal with Seven’s crazy ass, it’s her.”

      “Yeah. They’re a match made in hell, alright.” Maria gave him a smile, grateful for his company and comfort. “She’s not going to give up on him anytime soon, I don’t think.”

      “There are worse guys she could go for. Like that Jumin jerk.” He made a face, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the idea. Maria had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

      “Oh come on, Jumin isn’t that bad.” Maria leaned over the couch and poked him in the side. “Sure, the guy is too rich for his own good and a bit of a robot, but he’s decent enough.”

      “If you say so.” He was unwilling to get into an argument with her. Personal feelings aside, he had to admit Jumin was decent. He had been quick about sending bodyguards to the RFA members, after all, but Zen was not about to say something nice about the man outloud if he could help it.

      Maria’s stomach growled, making the girl’s face darken with colour and Zen grinned. He leaned over and opened the bags to lay out the small feast he had picked up for the two of them.

      “You’re the best.” Maria accepted a pair of chopsticks and immediately dug into a pile of juicy beef. She made a low, happy noise as she chewed and swallowed. “Ahh, so good. Where’d you get this?”

      “Mi-min Sangkwaehan.” Zen swallowed thickly, trying to ignore his body’s reaction to that noise as he pulled a menu out of the bag to show her. “It’s a little family-run joint not far from the rehearsal space we’re using. I’ve tried it before and thought you might like it.”

      “Right you were.” She picked up another piece of meat with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. Her sister and Mrs Kim were good cooks, but she had not had beef done like this in quite sometime and she was loving it. “I really appreciate it.”

      “It’s no trouble at all.” Zen beamed at her. “It’s a prince’s job to take care of the princess, isn’t it?”

      “Uh huh…” She had no idea how to cope with such overt flirting so she did the first thing she thought of. Plucking up a piece of meet with her chopsticks, she stuck it in his mouth. He could not flirt if he had a mouth full of beef, right? “Shut up.”

      It backfired. Maria had succeeded in shutting him up for a moment, but soon his shock gave way to a pleased happiness as he chewed on the meat. Even if it was not exactly her intention to feed him, that was still what she did and Zen could not help but be happy. It was very cute of her and almost, for a second, made him feel like they were a real couple.

      The look on his face was enough to fluster her. She turned away and poked at her food.

      “Has Yoosung apologised to you yet?” Zen’s question startled her. Considering his proclamation this morning of his intention to win her heart, she hardly expected him to bring up his rival.

      “Uh, no. Not yet.” Maria popped a bit of vegetables into her mouth, giving herself some time to try to calm the tide of emotions the topic had unleashed. “He hasn’t said anything to me since I left.”

      “What a fool.” Zen sighed and tugged some of the food closer. They ate in silence for a while before he spoke again. “He’ll come around and apologise eventually. He’s pretty naive when it comes to girls and this whole thing with Rika… I guess he’ll need some time.”

      “I guess so.” She opened and closed her chopsticks, listening to the dull thud as they hit each other. Peering at him out of the corner of her eye, she could see he was eating calmly. “Why are you being so… cool about all of this? I mean… Isn’t he in your way?”

      “He is.” Zen admitted with a shrug. He set his chopsticks down and turned to face her. “But I’m well aware he has a leg up. I’ll try to win you over, of course, but if he’s the one you’ll be happiest with then I won’t stand in the way of that.”

      “So you’re not taking advantage of this mess to turn me against him.” She summarised with a bit of surprise in her voice. He really was a good guy. “I admit, I’m impressed.”

      “If I’m going to win your heart, it’s only right that I do it the right way and not with underhanded means.” The smile he gave her was adorably bashful yet utterly charming. “Besides, whoever you decide to be with, I still want all of us to be friends.”

      “That’s what I want too.” She returned his smile. “On the topic of friendship… I do hope Seven and Yoosung make up soon. I hated reading their argument.”

      “I hope they will too.” He agreed. “Next to V, Yoosung was the closest to Seven before Morrigan came along and the truth about Saeran came out.”

      “Seven’s going through a hard time right now, but he needs to go pop his head out of his own ass.” She made a popping sound with her mouth and was rewarded with Zen’s rich laughter. “He keeps being a jerk like this and Morrigan might snap and ream him. She’s all bounce and laughter with patience a mile long, but she does have quite the temper.”

      “Does she really?”

      “Yeah. She once broke a guy’s nose for insulting me.” She grinned as she remembered that incident. The guy was only a class above her in school and had targeted Maria due to her skin colour. When Morrigan had learned she had lectured the guy, warning him to stop and giving him a chance to apologise.

      The guy had not taken the warning and had the guts to insult Maria in front of her older sister. Before she could even register what had happened the guy was on the ground sobbing as he clutched his bleeding nose and Morrigan was dusting off her hands with a smirk.

      It was savage and Maria loved her for it.

      “I’m quicker to anger than she is, but I burn out faster.” She explained with a shrug. “Morri, however, is slow to anger and takes forever for it to burn out. She preceded to make his life a living hell until he transferred out of the school.”

      “Whoa, remind me to never get on her bad side.” Zen swallowed nervously. “Um… does she know that I’m trying to win you over?”

      “She knows.” Maria grinned at the look of fear that crossed Zen’s face. “Don’t worry, she won’t attack unless you do something wrong.”

      “What a sister.” Zen chuckled as he shook his head slowly. “You’re really lucky, you know? You and Morri are pretty close. I was never really that close with my older brother.”

      “You have a big brother?”

      “Yeah. Several years older. I used to really look up to him.” His expression grew a bit darker and he turned back to his dinner. “I haven’t talked to him in a long time.”

      “Why’s that?” Maria had seen the way he pulled back into himself and could not help but wonder what had gone on between the two. Somehow she had a feeling it was more than just them drifting apart.

      “It’s a long story.” Zen bit the inside of his cheek as he met her gaze. “You sure you want to hear it?”

      “I’ve got plenty of time.” She set down her chopsticks and settled more comfortably into the couch. “Besides, I want to hear. I am pretty curious about your life.”

      “Okay…” He stared at her for a moment longer before looking away, becoming lost in thought. Time passed until she began to wonder if he had changed his mind about telling her. “My parents were tolerably well off. Both hard workers with normal, well-paying jobs. My brother followed in their footsteps, becoming quite successful on his own.”

      “Good for him.”

      “I guess so.” Zen sighed. “My brother was the first one to tell me I was attractive. I spent years thinking I was ugly because that’s what my parents told me, but my brother told me the truth. He was my greatest ally… until he sided with my parents, telling me I was wasting myself with acting and should focus instead on my studies.”

      “Ouch.” Maria frowned, surprised to hear about how unsupporting his family had been. “I guess they were trying to protect you in their own way… Still, ouch.”

      “I ran away when I was fifteen. Haven’t seen or talked to them since.” He smoothed down his hair and offered her a small smile. “My brother’s something like Jumin now. Rich workaholic. Maybe that’s why I don’t like Jumin - because he reminds me too much of my brother.”

      “You shouldn’t take your past out on Jumin.” Maria pointed out with a frown. “And, well, maybe you should call your family sometime. It’s been, what, a decade since then?”

      “Close enough.”

      “Yeah, so talk to them. You don’t have to forgive them or rebuild any bridges, but reaching out to them might help.” She grew quiet again as she studied Zen’s handsome face. It was a surprise to learn about his history and it shone a new light on him. He was more than some narcissist. He was someone who had risen above something that had been abusive, had the bravery to break away and follow his dreams.

      “I can’t make any promises.” He told her with a small, half-smile. “But I’ll think about it.”

      “Cool.” She smiled back and nudged his calf with her foot. “So… Tell me about this musical you’re working so hard on. Oh, and you better tell me that you’ll get tickets for me, my sis, and Jaehee too.”

      Zen brightened up instantly, pleased that she was curious about his work and thrilled with the idea of having her and the other ladies in the audience watching him before. He sat up straighter, eyes bright and a smile never leaving his lips, as he talked about the production, cast members, and role. He even got up from the couch and went through some of his lines, acting his heart out.

      Jaehee was right. He really did shine.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	28. Day 9 - Whistle

      Morrigan had her nose in a book and bouncy vocals paired with heavy metal music in her ears. She hummed along to the song as she read, not paying much attention to Seven when he left the room. She doubted he would go very far and she figured he would return soon enough.

      She did, however, notice when her phone rang. The ringtone she had set for Seven a long time ago, BlackPink’s _Whistle_ , cut off her music. Her phone lit up with his face and name and she grinned a she reached for it. She tugged her headphones out of her phone and answered.

      “Hey boo.” She greeted the man.

      “You’re not going to eat? Why aren’t you answering me?” Seven had that tone in his voice that made her think he was frowning. “Why aren’t you answering me?”

      “Ahh, sorry. The character in this book just said something really nice. And food? Meh, I’m not really hungry.”

      “Why don’t you eat if I leave you alone?” He had noticed how rarely she wandered into the kitchen to make herself something to eat and when she did, it was usually to bring him food as well. “Hang up and come here.”

      “Ahh, can I just not go over there and stay here?” She teased and heard him groan in reply.

      “Stop joking around and come sit at the table. Are you always so positive?” Seven looked up from the food he was arranging as she entered the bedroom, phone still held to his ear. “Why are you smiling at me? And I’ve been wanting to tell you… Stop staring at me.”

      “Nah. Gonna keep staring.” She looked down at the table and watched him set the table and pull out takeout containers. “What are we having?”

      “Hang up and come… god.” The look he gave her was exasperated, but she thought she could see a hint of amusement in his eyes. “You like sushi, right? I ordered some because I thought you need some rice. I ordered both the house course and their special, so eat whatever you want.”

      “I won’t eat if you don’t~!” She sang into the phone as she leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen. She could hear her voice in double as it came out of his phone on the other side of the table.

      “…Fine, I’ll eat with you. So come here.”

      “Whoot~!” She cheered and threw her fist into the air. He rolled his eyes. “Ahh, but eating means I’ll have to hang up and there happens to be a gorgeous guy talking to me.

      “Stop joking around with your phone. Come sit here.” He moved towards her and she danced away from him with a giggle. “So this is how hard it is to eat…”

      “Yup.”

      “Now, hang up the phone and let’s eat. Come on.” When she continued to dance out of his way he threw his hands in the air. “Oh god…! I said hang up the phone. Is it fun to tease me?”

      “Oh yeah, it totally is.” She beamed at him and he rolled his eyes again. Seven darted around the other side of the table, grabbing her arm and spinning her against him. She tried to hold her phone out of his reach but he merely leaned over her to grab it and hit the end call button.

      They were both flushed red a moment later when they realise just how close they were standing to one another. Seven quickly stepped back and hurried to take a seat, avoiding looking at her.

      “I’m busy. Hurry up.” He nodded towards the seat opposite him and tossed her a pair of chopsticks when she sat down.

      The pair ate in silence, occasionally sneaking peeks at each other. Although Seven had asked her not to stare, she kept staring regardless. Besides, how could he expect her not to stare when he was guilty of the same thing? What a hypocrite.

      It was the first time they sat together and ate. Even with the silence, it was kind of nice. It felt like some of that wall Seven had kept erecting between them had crumbled away.

      “What was that ringtone?” He asked suddenly, his golden eyes moving towards the phone he had set on the table. Although she had called him a few times since he entered the apartment, he had never called and heard the ringtone before.

      “Oh, it’s a song called Whistle.” A grin spread across her lips and a blush appeared on her face as she reached for her phone. Her fingers flew over it, turning the song on to play before setting it down.

 

 _Hey boy,_ the song began. _Make ‘em whistle like a missile, bomb bomb. Every time I show up, blow up, uh. Make ‘em whistle like a missile, bomb bomb. Every time I show up, blow up, uh._

 

      Soon Seven began to blush as they listened to the song. The girl group mixed rapping with poppy vocals in what was quite obviously a love song. It did not help his blush to hear Morrigan softly singing along to it. Her voice was sometimes off-key, but hearing those lyrics coming from her mouth made his heart leap into his chest.

      As the song ended he wondered if it was just her ringtone or one she set specifically to him. Flustered by the idea, but feeling the need to know, he managed to force the question out.

      Instead of saying yes or no she met his eyes and whistled.

 

 

#

 

      Seven disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Morrigan to clean up and put away the remains of their meal. She whistled to herself as she tidied up. He had said something about needing to do something, which she attributed to his work, and she was used to housework so she hardly minded.

      Besides, it gave her some time to think about the meal and recover a little from it. It seemed like he was warming up a little thanks to all of her pushing. He had ordered her so much delicious sushi and had made sure she ate. Plus he ate with her and they managed a conversation.

      She felt like doing a happy dance and she did. Of course, she nearly fell over her own feet and was grateful Seven had not seen the clumsiness.

      When she returned to the bedroom he was indeed hard at work, muttering to himself about blueprints and nuts. Curious, she approached him to see that he was working with something instead of tapping away at the laptop.

      “Seven, what are you doing right now?”

      “I’m fixing what I broke earlier…” She saw now that he had collected the remains of Meowy and was piecing the robot back together. His hands stilled for a moment and he looked up at her. “Come to think of it, if something happens and I disappear… at least she could talk to you. The AI program I installed here is similar to how I talk in the chatroom. Anyways, I’ll finish fixing it quick. Don’t mind me.”

      “Can’t you fix it while talking to me? I want to talk to you.” This was normally the point where her push would be met with a push as well, leaving them both upset and unsatisfied.

      “You’re a strange person. I pushed you away multiple time saying that I can’t give you what you want, but you’re not discouraged at all and still at my side.” He studied her for a long moment before adverting his eyes. A blush filled his cheeks as he spoke again. “Since we’re talking about it… You don’t say those things to other people, do you…? You might not know, but there are a lot of dangerous men in this world. If you’re too nice, you might end up facing a lot of trouble.”

      “I was just being honest because I like you, Seven.” She had the pleasure of seeing his blush deepen at her words.

      “Be-be careful about saying things like that. No! Don’t say that ever… especially to other guys.” He was flustered. Catching onto what he was saying he began stumbling further over his words. “Well, I mean… never say never, but..! You should really be careful about saying things like that!”

      It was damn near the cutest thing Morrigan had ever witnessed.

      “I genuinely like you Seven. I don’t say this to others.” She was grinning like a madwoman. She could feel it, but who could blame her?

      “Oh… alright. As long as you don’t say it to everyone else. Ugh… I feel hot.” He shrugged of his hoodie tossed it aside before picking the piece of Meowy he had been working on up again. She thought that perhaps he was done talking to her, but instead he opened his mouth, voice more hesitant and unsure than she had ever heard from him before. “Let’s talk about something else. I don’t usually talk when I work… but because you want to I have to think.”

      Does talking to oneself all the time while working count as actually talking? Not really. He was not used to holding actual conversations, but since she wanted one the least he could do was try.

      “Hmm… what should we talk about? How about we talk about your safety? Don’t you want to know anything?” He glanced at her to see she was moving through the room, approaching him slowly as if he were a frightened animal. “I’ve strengthen the security system. I’ve upgraded it but explaining would be boring since the jargon’s complicated. Ask me anything. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

      “Then…” Morrigan was floored. He was not pushing her away. First sushi and now opening up the discussion to anything? Had she finally reached him? Rather than testing the waters, she drove right in. “Tell me about the hacker, your brother…”

      “Saeran… God. I guess hiding it doesn’t mean anything now. I’ll tell you a bit. You remember that floppy disc from before…?” He set aside the robot cat and reached for the book, pulling it out and sliding it into a floppy disc drive hooked to one of his monitors. Once that was in he looked up at her and patted the floor beside him. “I’ll show you what’s in there so come here. I’ll turn it on.”

      Morrigan snagged his hoodie before settling down beside him. They were sitting so close, close enough for her to lean against him if she wanted to. Which she did, but she resisted the urge for the time being. Instead she wrapped his hoodie around her shoulders and hid her smile behind the fabric.

      Seven turned on the monitor and opened up the floppy disk. One by one he opened up picture after picture of a teenaged boy with vibrant red hair and golden eyes. It was like seeing into a different world. Saeran looked so normal, so happy. There were pictures of him smiling and laughing in the sunlight. One of admiring a butterfly.

      He was so innocent compared to the dark, twisted Saeran they knew now.

      “That boy there is Saeran.” Seven stared at the pictures he had cherished for over a year now. The precious photos that afforded him one of the few comforts that he had made the right decision. “He would’ve been in high school in that photo, but he never went to school. He was always weak and got sick a lot.”

      “You two look so similar.” She tugged the hoodie tighter around herself, wondering what Saeran would have been like if Mint Eye had never gotten a hold of him.

      “Because we’re twins. We look like but our personalities were very different.”

      “I hear that’s usually the case with twins.” Morrigan looked up at Seven. This close she could see the bags under his eyes. Did he ever sleep? Not once had she seen him asleep, although the blankets and pillows she had set out for him had been moved between the couch and the floor of the bedroom and back again a few times.

      “When Saeran was with me… He was barely able to leave home. We grew up in a very complicated household… Our father is one of the presidential candidates at the moment.” Seven’s eyes remained locked on the pictures of his twin brother, of the false happiness that had kept him going for so long. He could feel Morrigan’s eyes on him, but instead of being frustrated by it he felt comforted somehow by her gaze. “I won’t tell you who, since you might get in danger. Even before he was elected as congressmen, he was an honourable man on hate outside. But…”

      “But what?”

      “He and my mother had twins without marrying. Of course, our father probably didn’t know about us when we were born. Since she asked for money in return for keeping quiet about us. When we were young, our mother didn’t let us leave the house. She didn’t consider us as her children, but as a tool to threaten our dad.” Morrigan reached for his hand and he let her take it. He shifted to hold hers in return and gave her a gentle squeeze. This was hard to talk about, but having her there made it easier. “Our father tried multiple times to kidnap us. And our mother was an alcoholic and half insane most of the time. …Putting it into words really makes me realise how impossible my family was.”

      “How did you learn hacking when you grew up like that?” It was amazing to think about how accomplished and good Seven was with a childhood like that.

      “I was the healthier out of the two of us, so I could leave the house.” He shrugged but there was nothing casual about it. Seven was tense, coiled tight like a rubber band and each word pulled him tighter. “When her alcoholism was at its worse she couldn’t really walk. So she would send me on errands to go get water or medicine. Later, I analysed her pattern and left the house when she couldn’t catch me. So when I wandered outside I got to know Rika and received some training at the church. Rika and V noticed then that I was immensely talented at math and computers.”

      “It must have seemed something like a miracle to have met them.” Morrigan leaned her head against his shoulder, turning her eyes back to the computer screen. She felt, rather than saw, him nod. “And then what?”

      “I realised who I was then, after getting baptised I got the name ‘Luciel’, learned computers, and became hopeful of escaping my parents’ eyes. But… there just wasn’t any way for me to save Saeran, no matter how I tried…” He bit his lip and turned his eyes away from the brother he had failed to look down at where he and Morrigan’s hands were joined. “My father became more and more powerful and I lived in fear of him trying to take us out. Thankfully with V’s help.. I was able to abandon m identity and family and go abroad so that my father can’t track me. V and Rika promised me they would take good care of Saeran… And that is the only reason why I was able to leave on my own.”

      “It must’ve been so difficult…” She could not imagine having to leave her sister behind like that. Pushing Maria out of the apartment because of the bad feeling she had before the intrusion was hard enough, but to leave her behind without the hope of seeing her again? That was too painful to even think about.

      “I promised him that I’d always be with him… that I’d protect him… but I broke that promise, just trusting V’s words…” Seven shook his head, guilt and anger rising within him. “Thinking about it now, I’m so mad that I never had a single ounce of doubt!”

v“I feel so bad that you had to go through all that…” It was a small comfort, but he seemed to appreciate it. He rubbed his thumb soothingly against her pulse and gave her the tiniest of smiles.

      “A secret agent doesn’t need such a back story… But… I couldn’t be an agent who abandons his past completely. I couldn’t let go of my brother… To be honest, I missed him so much ever sine we parted ways. So I kept begging Rika to tell me how he was doing.” His golden eyes returned to the screen. “She saved these photos on the disc and sent it to me in secret. To congratulate my 20th birthday. She told me that Saeran was healthy and happy and that I shouldn’t worry… Oh, I’m sorry I went on too long about this.”

      Seven reached forward to eject the disc. The pictures disappeared leaving behind a somewhat grainy wallpaper that looked kind of familiar. Before Morrigan could tell what it was he flipped off the monitor.

      “Let’s stop talking about Saeran. I only wanted to tell you a little bit…” He turned to look down at her. When she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him he gave her a confused smile. “That’s strange. Talking to you… makes meant to talk more.”

      “They say that talking about things make you feel better.” She lifted her shoulder in a shrug and returned his smile with a warm one of her own. “I hoped it helped, if only a little. And thanks for talking to me.”

      “Thank you for listening to my story.” His free hand rose to brush aside her bangs, his eyes locked on hers. “This is funny… But I want you to remember me even if I disappear. That just crossed my mind.”

      “I will.”

      “To be honest, V was the only one who knew this story. That’s why I trusted him so absolutely and relied on him. But… absolute trust only shut my eyes and ears.” He pulled the ejected floppy out of the machine. The weight and feel of it was familiar but offered him none of the comfort it used to. “I’m going to find out everything about Saeran, about the truth that V hid from me… Whatever obstacles I have to face, I won’t give up and find the truth.”

      “If anyone can do it, you can.” Morrigan squeezed his hand.

      “It won’t be easy… But will you still…” He swallowed, his voice hesitant and small. “Be by my side?”

      “Of course.” Even with the danger and uncertainty of the future, there was no where else she would rather be.

      “Once you are safe… you can leave whenever you want. But… thank you so much for saying so.” Seven raised their joined hands to press hers against his heart. Through the thin fabric of his shirt she could feel the thump of his heart. “If God allows it… I’ll always have you in my heart.”

      This time when she whistled, he whistled back.

 

 


	29. Day 9 - Apologies

**707** : Hiya  
 **707** : hey hey  
 **Morrigan** : That’s a very sudden change ^^;  
 **Maria** : Night and day!  
 **707** : I’m trying to be positive!  
 **707** : I have to be brave.  
 **707** : I have something to say to the RFA Yoosung and not the comet Yoosung.  
 **707** : I was going to call him, but the phone might be bugged…  
 **707** : So I wanted to say it here.  
 **Morrigan** : An apology?  
 **Maria** : You think?  
 **707** : I think I was very bad to Yoosung earlier…  
 **Maria** : You think?  
 **707** : Since I live a life that’s completely void of human relationships, sometimes the ‘other me’ pops out and that was just bad timing.  
 **707** : I didn’t mean to hurt him.  
 **Morrigan** : I know…

 

      Morrigan, still swallowed in the warmth of Seven’s hoodie, looked up from the bed and shot the hacker a proud smile. Even if it was not in person or over the phone, she was really proud that he was apologising to Yoosung.

      He had been through so much in the past few days. Heck, he had been through so much period so it made her really happy to see him opening up and letting the ice around him melt away.

  
 **Yoosung has entered the chat**.  
 **Yoosung** : Seven!!  
 **707** : You’re here!  
 **Morrigan** : Yoosung;; Nice timing!Yoosung: Hi Morri. Hi Maria.  
 **Yoosung** : What’s that up there?  
 **707** : Dude… awesome timing.  
 **Yoosung** : Seven…  
 **707** : Super sry about earlier!  
 **Yoosung** : You think a sorry will do!?  
 **707** : …  
 **707** : Yes.

 

      Seven accidentally shared a picture of Honey Buddha chips and muttered to himself as he quickly explained that he must have been flustered since it was a mistake. Morrigan, the girl he cherished deeply, nearly fell of the bed laughing at him.

  
 **Morrigan** : Seven… sincerely apologise!  
 **707** : Okay!  
 **Maria** : Whipped~  
 **707** : I’m sorry, Yoosung.  
 **707** : I just got too emotional… and said things to hurt you…  
 **Yoosung** : So we’re not cutting ties?  
 **707** : I’ll try to make sure it doesn’t happen…  
 **Yoosung** : It won’t happen!  
 **Yoosung** : I know complicated things are happening to you, but we’ve known each other for years.  
 **Yoosung** : You can’t just say goodbye without giving us a chance to understand!  
 **Yoosung** : That’s not a human thing to do!  
 **707** : Nope, it’s not.  
 **Yoosung** : EXACTLY!!  
 **Morrigan** : Yup. Yoosung’s completely right.  
 **707** : I’m a robot programmed to regret mode.  
 **Yoosung** : What did you say just now?  
 **Yoosung** : When a sincere apology might not even be enough?  
 **707** : T_T  
 **Maria** : At least he’s trying.  
 **Morrigan** : Hmm, it’s a bit cold in here. Thankfully I’ve got a hoodie to keep me warm.

 

      “What’s going on there?” Seven caught Morrigan’s eye. “Is Maria upset with Yoosung?”

      “Dude, yeah. It’s why she left his place and is staying with Zen.” She quirked her eyebrow at her phone as Yoosung went on a lecture about cleansing the mind with soap making and devoting oneself to society. A lecture that Maria recognised as one of his mother’s.

      “I’ve missed a bit, haven’t I?”

      “Just a bit, but she hasn’t said what her problem is in chat.” Morrigan pursed her lips as she contemplated tell him. “He compared her to Rika so she left.”

      “Ouch, yeah, can’t say I blame her for throwing some shade.”

  
 **Yoosung** : I’ll…  
 **Morrigan** : Drumroll please.  
 **Yoosung** : Forgive you.  
 **707** : Okay, thank you.  
 **Morrigan** : Congrats, Seven.  
 **Maria** : Yeah, congrats.  
 **Yoosung** : But Seven, you’re not planning to make up with V now, are you?  
 **707** : No… that’s another issue.  
 **707** : I don’t trust V as I used to.  
 **707** : I’m now going to think of V separately from the RFA.  
 **Maria** : That’s probably best.  
 **707** : Until now, I basically did everything he said… But I’m going to be independent from now on.  
 **707** : I think in that process… I became really scared of the future that didn’t even come yet.  
 **707** : I became really defencive because I got so scared.  
 **707** : But…  
 **Morrigan** : I’ll support you, Seven! ^^ Whistle~  
 **707** : ^.^~  
 **707** : Wasn’t that a super cool thing to say?  
 **707** : Yoosung,Maria, if you like me too, please support me.  
 **Yoosung** : Support support support!  
 **Yoosung** : I’ll cheer for you, Seven!  
 **Maria** : Just don’t expect me to bring out any pompoms.  
 **Yoosung** : You have pompoms?  
 **Maria** : Don’t ask.  
 **707** : LOLOLOL  
 **707** : I could think this way because Morri is right beside me…  
 **Morrigan** : I’m so glad you feel that way~!  
 **Maria** : You two seem to be getting along better.  
 **707** : Yeah, I feel like we played a game of finding your heart.  
 **Yoosung** : What’s that?  
 **707** : You don’t need to know.  
 **707** : You’ve got your own game to play.

 

      “What are the chances of him realising what I’m talking about?” Seven and Morrigan shared a look before laughing. “Yeah, didn’t think they were that great.”

      “At this rate he’s going to lose her to Zen.”

      “Seriously?” He blinked in surprise. “I really have missed a lot.”

      “Again, this stuff hasn’t been talked about in chat, so don’t feel too bad.”

      In chat Seven talked about it being past time for him to be independent and expressed his embarrassment over being so dependant on V for so long. The support that he received from his old friend made a smile spread across the hacker’s face.

 

 **Yoosung** : Don’t worry about the party or about our safety!  
 **Maria** : Just focus on what you have to do.  
 **707** : I will.  
 **707** : I feel so encouraged…   
**707** : Then I’ll get going to do some work, Morri… See you later.  
 **Morrigan** : Literally.   
**707** : And you too, Yoosung… Maria.  
 **Yoosung** : Okie!  
 **Maria** : Later.  
 **Yoosung** : Focus on what you have to do! ^_^  
 **707 has left the chat.**  
 **Yoosung** : Earlier today, I felt like my heart was going to sink…  
 **Morrigan** : I’m really glad that you two made up.  
 **Yoosung** : To be honest, I knew we would ^^  
 **Morrigan** : Now, isn’t it time that you and Maria made up?  
 **Morrigan has left the chat**.

 

      Maria cursed her sister for vacating the chat. Of course her busy-body self had to stick her nose in her business. Zen must have hear her cursing because he poked his head out of his bedroom with concern written on his handsome face.

      “Don’t worry, I’m fine. Morri’s just being a little troll.” She sighed stared down at the chat, unsure what to say. Truth be told, she was not sure if she would believe him if he apologised he even understand why she had been so upset.

      “What’s she doing now?” Zen joined her on the couch, peeking over her shoulder.

      “Well, since Seven apologised to Yoosung, she said it was about time we make up.” They had been sitting in silence in the chat since Maria left, neither one of them saying a word. “So far nothing.”

 

 **Maria** : Well?  
 **Yoosung** : Mom wanted me to tell you she missed you.  
 **Yoosung** : And she was sorry you left so suddenly.  
 **Maria** : Oh.

 

      “That fucker.” She glared down at her phone, wishing she could shake the sense into Yoosung. Had it not dawned on him how badly he screwed up?

 

 **Maria** : Is that all?  
 **Maria** : Nothing else you wanna say to me?

 

      “Maybe he’s trying to figure out how to apologise?” Zen’s voice was close to her ear. She glanced over to see his face practically touching hers as he watched the chat.

      “Maybe, but I’m not holding my breath here.” She sighed and turned her attention back onto the chat. “I’m getting pretty close to writing him off completely. I get that he idolised Rika and all that, but if he only liked me because he saw her in me then I’m better off without him.”

      “Yeah.” Zen tried not to smile at that, knowing it was a sore spot for her.

      “And don’t get smug. Even if I do write him off, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll start dating you.”

      “Of course!” He chuckled and nudged her gently. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t have a chance of someday calling you my girlfriend.”

 

 **Yoosung:** I, uh… About what happened…  
 **Maria** : Yes?  
 **Yoosung** : You left so suddenly…  
 **Yoosung** : And you’re staying with Zen.  
 **Yoosung** : I wanted to say…  
 **Yoosung** : …   
**Maria** : Spit it out already.  
 **Yoosung** : Do you like Zen???  
 **Maria** : That’s it?  
 **Maria** : That’s what you wanted to say to me…  
 **Maria** : You know what, maybe I do. I haven’t decided.  
 **Maria** : What I do know is that at least he sees me for me.  
 **Maria** : Which is more than I can say for you, Yoosung.  
 **Maria** : I can’t believe I liked you so much.  
 **Maria** : I can’t believe I still do.  
 **Maria** : Here I was, hoping you’d realise how you fucked up so that maybe, just maybe, we could give it another shot…  
 **Maria** : But no. You still haven’t gotten the picture.  
 **Yoosung** : **Maria**  
 **Maria:** Talk to me when you get your head on straight.  
 **Maria** : Even if you don’t really like me as anything more than a friend, you owe me a bloody apology for playing with my emotions.  
 **Maria has left the chat.**

 

      Maria screamed and threw her phone across the phone, face hot and eyes burning with tears. She did not resist when Zen pulled her into his arms. She buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed as he gently rubbed her back and hummed gently in her ear. Without a word he offered her comfort, letting her cry her pain out.

      When the tears finally ended she lifted her head, offering him a shaky smile. Zen returned it as he brushed the tears off her face with a thumb.

      “I’m sorry he’s such an idiot.” He sighed. “But you’ve given him a lot to think about. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried contacting you soon to apologise.”

      “I don’t care if he does.” Maria hiccuped, angry and hurt. “I’m so done with him. So fucking done.”

      “Don’t say that…” He gave her another hug. “You’re upset, and you have full right to be, but don’t give up so easily.”

      “B-but he…”

      “He’s an idiot.” Zen told her. “But he’s young and he hasn’t been in a situation like this before. I know you care about him, so don’t give up on him so easily. You don’t want to end up regretting it.”

      “Stop being so cool about this.” She pulled away and shot him a glare. “Zen, I’m done with him,okay? I don’t want him to come around and see the fucking light. I’m done.”

      “That’s just your hurt talking.”

      “No it’s not. I’ll prove it.” Maria grabbed his collar and pulled his face to hers. His eyes widened as her lips landed on his, harsh and vindictive. It took him a moment for his mind to catch up to the action and push her away.

      “Listen.” He drew away from her, his desire to show her what a real kiss was warring with his common decency. Thankfully the good part of him was winning out over the beast. “I really like you, Maria, and there’s nothing more I’d like to do but kiss you until you forgot any other guy.”

      “Then do it!” She challenged him. “What’s stopping you?”

      “The fact that this isn’t what you really want.” He swallowed past a lump in his throat and stood up to put some distance between them. He put a hand against his mouth, pressing hard to remove the lingering sensation of her kiss. “You don’t really want me, Maria, and I want you to want to be with me for me, okay? Not because he hurt you. Not because I’m here.”

      “But that’s not…”

“But it is.” He locked her down with his gaze, the truth stretching out between them. “You’re doing to me what he did to you. We both know something like that would never work out. We’d only end up regretting it.”

      “Zen…” Realising he was speaking the truth she curled up into herself, shame filling every inch of her body. After being so upset at Yoosung she went and did nearly the same thing with Zen. “I’m sorry.”

      “I know…” He sighed and turned towards the door. “I’m going out for a ride. I need to clear my head… I’ll talk to you later.”


	30. Day 9 - Some Truths

     “I turned off the security system for a minute.” Seven’s voice brought Morrigan’s nose out of her book. He was standing beside the bed, hammer in one had and a determined look in his eyes. “Morri, I think I ready to open that drawer. Are you ready?”

     “Yes…” She abandoned her book and stood. “But before you break it with the hammer, I want to try something.”

     Seven stepped back and watched as she knelt in front of the drawer. With a look of concentration on her face she put her fingers against the lock. Second passed, then some more, until the lock glitched with binary and her finger slid partially inside. She bit her lip, ignoring Seven’s gasp of surprise, as she tried to wiggle her fingers and force the lock to unlatch.

     It resisted and she pulled back with a sight.

     “What was that?” Seven was staring at her with widened eyes.

     “Bonus of being an Angel?” She shrugged and stepped back. “It didn’t work at any rate, so break that bitch with the hammer.”

     “Alright.” He would ask her about her ‘Angel’ abilities later. For now he gently pulled her behind here before readying the hammer. “You can’t get hurt so stay me.”

     He counted. One. Two. On the third heartbeat he swung the hammer down. The sound of the smash reverberated in their ears and pieces of the knob dropped to the floor. Turning the hammer around, Seven wiggled the end into the edge of the drawer and pushed. There was a crack and the drawer slid open.

     “It’s open.” Seven felt Morrigan move from behind her and saw her as she knelt beside him to peer into the drawer. “This is…”

     “Mint Eye’s logo…” Morrigan reached into the drawer and pulled out a few slips of paper, each one covered with something very close to the logo she knew so well. The one set to the RFA members in the emails. The one branded into her hip and her nightmares. “It’s definitely their logo.”

     “It looks like an early version of that logo… why is this here?” Seven’s eyes returned to the drawer and he pulled out some more papers. Lines and notes, professionally one, came together on the pages to reveal a building. “And this blueprint here… It’s exactly the same as the building Saeran was in. The one I’m researching right now.”

     They sat in since as they slowly emptied the drawer out and spread the papers out onto the floor. Early drafts of the Mint Eye logo. Professional document. The blueprint. Nothing hidden in that drawer had been innocent or personal letters like V had claimed.

     “Rika was the only one who could come here… Looking at these materials… I think Rika was involved in the establishment of that organisation.” His hands shook a little as she sorted through the papers again. “I knew it… V knew that this was here… That’s why he wanted to hide it… I was ready, but I never expected something like that to be hidden here.”

     “Or he wanted us to find it?” The look that Seven shot her was devoid of hope and she sighed and turned back to their discovery. “I never heard Rika’s name there. Do you think she was part of it? Part of Mint Eye?”

     “No way. The Rika I knew would never…” The adamant denial fizzled out beneath the weight of the contents of the drawer. It was hidden away in her apartment, the location of which very few knew. “But looking at these materials… I don’t think I can deny that she was involved.”

     “Yeah…”

     “I should get to the Mint Eye building as soon as possible. I feel like I’ll have to go there to find the truth. I’ve already done enough research… But…” Seven turned and reached for Morrigan’s hand, concern written on his face. “I can’t leave you to be alone here.”

     “We’ll have to go together, Seven.” Morrigan was more than ready to argue her face. As much as she dreaded going back to the source of her nightmares, she was not about to let the man she loved face the cult and the truth alone.

     “Would you? I’m sure it will be safer for you to be with me than to stay here. And… Thanks to your encouragement, I’ve gotten the courage to express emotions.” He offered her a smile which she readily returned. His heart swelled at having her by his side even after everything he had put her through and everything Mint Eye had put her through. “These materials are very shocking… But I will want to discover the truth.”

     “Of course.”

     I don’t know what truth is waiting for us. But with you here with me, I feel as if I’ve acquired some enormous super power. Morri… I don’t want you to ever regret following me.” He leaned forward, his forehead coming to rest against hers. “I’ll be by your side and protect you. I’ll guard you… more than my life. If it’s okay with you, let’s go together.”

     “Yeah, we’re going together…” Morrigan shifted and planted a kiss against his cheek. “And I won’t regret following you. We’ll get through this, Seven. Nothing can stop our stubborn, half-insane asses.”

#

     Jaehee was the only one in the chat, but the pair revealed what they had discovered. Needless to say the assistant was rather shocked to learn about Rika’s possible connection to Mint Eye, but her shock quickly transformed into fear and concern when she learned of Seven and Morrigan’s plan to go to the headquarters.

     Neither of them could fault Jaehee her worries. Even with all of their combined knowledge of the cult and its building, they knew they were stepping into danger.

     The rest of the RFA would surely see the conversation soon. They expected the chat to blow up with reactions and their phones to go off with messages and calls from the other members. Morrigan was certain Maria would have a thing or two to say about her decision to go with Seven.

     In the meantime they enjoyed the silence as they moved through the apartment, packing up what they might need for their journey. Extra toiletries, some clothes, and even some non-perishable food and drinks. Eventually they abandoned the effort. Morrigan brought a bag of Honey Buddha chips onto the bed with her and began to munch as she picked her book back up. She was halfway through a riveting chapter when her phone rang.

     “Yo yo, babe.” Morrigan answered the phone with a wide smile, already knowing who was on the other end.

     “It’s me,” Seven told her as if they had not heard the ringtone she had set for him go off in the silence of the apartment. “Isn’t it strange to talk on the phone when we’re in the same room? But… don’t turn around and just listen to me.”

     “Whatever you say, captain.” She sat up and shifted the phone to her other ear.

     “Do you know what you face looks like? It’s like you have the word ‘WORRIED’ written in bold letters across your forehead.”

     “Oops.”

     “I know you’ve been trying to hide it, but I can sense it… So let’s talk. Let’s talk about what makes you nervous, how e can get through this… and just everything.” Seven sighed as he watched her back. The rise and fall of her shoulders beneath the black and yellow of his hoodie. The way she shifted to brush the hair away from her face. “Of course, I can’t be certain of this situation and I’m worried. I want to be the only one who feels this… But I don’t know how I ended up involving you in all this. I should be going through this alone.”

     “Struggles are less difficult if you share them.” Morrigan told him with a hint of a smile in her voice. She wanted to turn around, but his request she not remained in her mind. He was still growing. Maybe it was easier for him to talk like this, without seeing her face. “It’s okay.”

     “But I don’t want to make you struggle. I want to make sure that you’re smiling all the time. I still don’t know how you like me when I’m so dangerous.”

     “I just do.” She shrugged, grateful he could not see the blush spreading across her cheeks.

     “I want to be in a relationship… Where we laugh, have fun, and sometimes fight over nothing… Not a relationship as difficult as this. I just wanted to share my small worries, feel depressed, but be happy again in no time.” Would the guilt Seven felt over the situation ever fade? “I didn’t want to involve someone I love in something so dangerous.”

     Morrigan put a hand to her mouth, suppressing a squeal at his words. Someone he loves! She wanted to do a happy dance right then and there.

     “Do you think… it’s possible?” Seven’s voice sounded so hesitantly hopeful. There was so much on his mind and heart at that moment. Things he wanted to say. Things he wanted to show her. Dreams he never thought could have all seemed like they could really happen. “Can we really overcome all obstacles and smile in the end? And one day… have a happy family? I never thought I deserved it. I thought this tragedy would end with me… But ever since meeting you… I started to hope. Can I dare to hope?”

     “You can have a family.” Morrigan answered softly. Even if things were difficult, she wanted to make that happen for him. He deserved that and so much more. “I’m here, after all, and I’m not going anywhere.”

     “Thank you. I thought…” He swallowed back his nerves as he moved closer to the bed. It creaked as he climbed up on the edge and sat down. “I thought, maybe with you, it might be possible. I’m getting way ahead of myself, aren’t I?”

     “Maybe, but there’s no shame in it.”

     “But now… I need to bring Saeran here first.” Just a little while longer, he told himself. The future with her was within grasp. “If I can’t protect my own family how can I gather up the courage to start a new one? Oh… I’m going to stop talking about this over the phone. Hang up now and come to me. I want to hear your voice directly.”

     Hanging up their phones and abandoning them to the side of the bed, Morrigan turned to face him. They met halfway and eagerly wrapped their arms around each other, basking in the warmth and the ability to just be together without any barriers keeping them apart.

     “I have so much to look forward to now.” Seven said into her sweetly scented hair as he held her close. “It scares me a little. After all this time I finally got a taste of what happiness could be and I want it.”

     “Nighttime does make you sentimental.” She shifted to look up at him and her hear thudded in her chest at the way he was looking at her. No one had ever looked at her with such love and longing before. “We’ll get through all of this, Seven. You’re stuck with me, through thick and then, so you better be prepared.”

     “Hurricane Morrigan, tearing my world apart.” His voice was full of fondness as he kissed her forehead, then her eyelids, and then her nose. “My very own beautiful disaster, blowing apart all of my defences to find me.”

     “And don’t you forget it.” She tilted her head and leaned up to touch her lips against his. “I love you.”

     “Ahhh, you’re so strange.” His cheeks flushed with red and his heart soared. With a small laugh he pecked her lips in return. “But I’ve gone strange, too, haven’t I?”

     “Yup. Completely and utterly strange.” She smiled and Seven wondered how he had gotten so lucky, so utterly blessed. She was so cute, so beautiful. Although she seemed small swallowed by his hoodie, her heart and inner strength were overwhelmingly huge.

     Seven loved her. He did not know when or how he had fallen for the woman in his arms, but he had and he fell hard. Never before had he imagined wanting a future with any woman before she came along and now he could not imagine a future without her. It blew him away. It completely wrecked him in the best way possible to know that she loved him in return.

     “Okay, love-muffin.” She gave him another kiss before yawning in his face. “I’m tired and we have a long day tomorrow. Get dressed for bed. You’re not staying up all night.”

     “Yes ma’am.” Seven grinned at her and reluctantly released her. He knew he could always embrace her again, but he just wanted to keep holding onto her. He forced himself to scoot off the bed and gather up a change of clothes before heading to the door.

     “Oh, and I hope you know that you are so not sleeping on the couch tonight.” She was grinning when he looked back at her. “Got me, boo? You’re staying by my side tonight.”

     “Then I’ll get my bedding from the living room and-”

     “No, dude.” She patted the bed beside her. “You’re sleeping beside me. No choice in the matter.”

     “B-but God…”

     “God will understand that when a man and a woman love each other, they’ll want to cuddle.” She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. The pout on her face was too cute and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her until it went away. “Unless you don’t really wanna cuddle with me?”

     “Fine, you win.” He put his hand to the cross that hung around his neck and looked up to the sky. “God, forgive me for this beautiful woman dragging me into hell.”

     “Go shower already.” She flung a pillow at his face, only for him to catch it and fling it back.

#

     Seven leaned his head against the cold tile of the shower wall and took a deep breath. Although the hot water did wonders for his shoulders and back, it did nothing to ease the tight coil of emotions inside or the cock hanging between his life that was rapidly stirring to life.

     Morrigan had to insist they cuddle and now his body and mind were turning treacherous. Heat filled his cheeks and pulled between his legs at the thought of having her curvaceous body pressed against him all night.

     “God help me.” He switched the water to cold in hope that the shock would put out the fire of his libido, but he had a full erection that refused to listen.

     He tried hard to focus on the icy temperature of the shower but is mind kept interjecting with mental images that were not helpful at all. It was too easy to imagine unzipping the zipper that held his hoodie closed over her body. He could almost taste her flesh and his mouth watered with he desire that held him tight in its grip.

     He was going to hell. They had just truly began a relationship and here he was remembering how he felt in his dream - how her wet heat had gripped his fingers and the pleasured moans he pulled from her.

     Giving in to his body’s demands, he wrapped his hand around his cock and shuddered as pleasure ran down his body. Even though his hands were larger and rougher from agency work, it was not hard to imagine the Morrigan from his dream taking a hold of him.

     As much as he wanted to mimic the motions he remembered all too well from the dream, his pace picked up faster and faster as the pleasure clouded his mind. He bit his lip to stifle himself, not wanting to disturb Morrigan, as he stroked himself in the shower.

     Finally his body tightened and it only took a few quick paced strokes and twists to take him over the edge. He released with a small cry, his entire body shaking from the intensity of it.

     Satiated, his libido died down and he was able to finish washing. He dried himself off, tossed the towel in a corner, and left the bathroom with a blush on his face. Would Morrigan know what he had done?

     “Took you long enough.” She yawned sleepily as she heard him shuffle into the bedroom. Fumbling around the blanket she flipped it over and patted the spot next to her until he slipped in beside her.

     “Yeah, well. H-had to get clean.” Seven’s blush deepened as she snuggled up against him. There was not an ounce of shyness in her actions as she draped a leg over him and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. He felt something hard against his arm and reached for it with his freehand.

     The collar. He had forgotten she had been wearing it. It had been a constant since she put it on the morning after they had met at the cafe. He had yet to see her with it.

     “Why are you still wearing that thing? It can’t be comfortable?”

     “Oh, yeah.” She sat up to undo the buckles and tossed it into one of the dark corner’s of the bedroom. Shadows along one side of her neck caught Seven’s eye.

     They looked kind of familiar.

     “What’s that?” He leaned in close, wishing he had not left his glasses on the bedside table as he examined the discolouration. It looked like slowly healing bite marks? He did not want to even think about her being with another man.

     “Um, that’s the side effect of having some freaky-deaky powers and having a boyfriend who’s a sadist that likes to bite?” Morrigan blushed as she pushed him back down and snuggled back into his side.

     “Wait…” Seven was dumbfounded. Brain does not compute. “You… had a boyfriend before joining the RFA?”

     “Nope.” She had the gall to snicker at his confusion.

     “I don’t get it.”

     “You’re really the cutest.” She wrapped her arm around him and shifted her face to plant a kiss against his flesh. “By the way, Saeyoung… I thought the glow in the dark stars above your bed were really cute.”

     Everything clicked into place. The dream that had plagued him with its vivid detail. It had not been a dream at all. She just had to drop that bombshell now and was already fast asleep.

     Evil minx.

     Yup, he was definitely definitely going to hell. Maybe he could find a Catholic church to confess his sins on the way to Mint Eye headquarters. He found himself smiling as he pulled her closer and closed his eyes. He really was looking forward to making an honest woman out of the cheeky love in his arms.


	31. Day 10 - Beginning

      None of the member’s of the RFA had a decent sleep the night after the reveal of the contents of Rika’s drawer.

      Seven had woken up from an unhappy memory of the past to be comforted by Morrigan. Yoosung had tried sleeping but ended up staring into space as he tried to think of every possible explanation for the contents of the drawer. Jumin eventually got to sleep after a glass of wine, but tossed and turned restlessly in between his silken sheets. Jaehee had stayed up late, going over work she had already finished until she fell asleep at the desk in her home.

      It was a rough night and early morning rummages of the apartment only yielded more evidence that Rika had been involve in Mint Eye for at least over a year before her death. She had kept a time schedule that was either marked M.E. or R.F.A. and the location for the M.E. meetings matched the address of the headquarters Seven had been looking into.

      Yoosung was still holding out hope that Mint Eye had blackmailed Rika or was exploiting her like they were Saeran. In the light of the evidence of the schedule even his ineffable faith in Rika was faltering.

 

 **707** : It’s dawn…  
 **707** : But I think we should get ready to leave soon.  
 **Yoosung** : Alright I’ll waiting!   
**Maria** : Just be careful, okay?  
 **Morrigan** : We will. =)  
 **Morrigan** : Please take good care of the party even if we’re not there, guys.  
 **Yoosung** : Yup. I think Jumin’s putting in a lot of effort.  
 **Yoosung** : We’ll make sure or efforts are not in vain, so don’t worry and be careful!  
 **Yoosung** : Oh, why don’t you leave the address of the place you’re going?   
**Maria** : Yeah! That way Jumin can help if you guys are in danger.  
 **Maria** : He can send body guards or call the police.   
**707** : I thought about that and it’s not a bad idea…  
 **707** : But the information might leak.  
 **707** : I only want the least number of people to know for now.  
 **Morrigan** : I’ll trust your decision, Seven.  
 **Yoosung** : I’m worried…  
 **Yoosung** : But alright, if that’s what you think is best.  
 **Maria** : Just get back safely, okay? I’m not going to lose my sister and future brother-in-law to that cult.  
 **Morrigan** : Mar-Mar~<3  
 **707:** Thanks everyone.  
 **707** : I’ll keep Morri safe.  
 **Yoosung** : Tell me when you need help, okay.  
 **707** : Yup!  
 **707** : Regarding the information I find… I’ll sign in as often as I can to update everyone so make sure to check whenever you can.  
 **Yoosung** : Alright!  
 **Yoosung** : Morri, I know even will protect you, but just in case be careful.  
 **Yoosung** : Seven! If, just I case if!  
 **Yoosung** : Things don't work out with Saeran… please remember that we are your family too.  
 **707** : Okay…  
 **707** : You know Morri’s in the RFA family, right?  
 **Yoosung** : Of course! Maria too!  
 **Maria** : Thanks. <3  
 **707** : Then wish her luck, more than me  
 **707** : Morri, I’ll get ready first.  
 **Morrigan** : Okay~ Make sure to get your jacket so you don’t get too cold!  
 **707** : I would, but you’re still wearing it.  
 **Morrigan** : ^.^ I know.  
 **Morrigan** : Come and get it, big boy!  
707: You’re so strange.  
 **707 has left the chat.**  
 **Morrigan** : Don’t worry guys.  
 **Morrigan** : We’ll be okay.  
 **Morrigan** : <3  
 **Morrigan has left the chat.**

#

      “Are you ever going to give me that back?” Seven darted around the couch, reaching out for Morrigan’s arm. She leapt away with a laugh.

      “Eventually.” She pulled the hoodie tighter around herself and buried her face in it. “When it stops smelling so yummy.”

      “Oh god, don’t do that.” Seven’s heart thumped in his chest at the sight she presented. Morrigan had dressed comfortably for the road in leggings and a tank, but she had snagged his hoodie as soon as she had finished dressing and had been dancing around the apartment keeping it away from him. She had also abandoned the collar and pulled her hair up into a loose bun which meant that every now and then he caught sight of the marks on her neck as she moved.

      It was enough to drive a man mad.

      Seven had no idea how she could smile when they were packing up to go after Mint Eye, put a stop to the cult and the threats they presented to the RFA, and somehow rescue Saeran. Yet she smiled at him and made him laugh, easing the tension.

      Eventually he ended up giving up and stealing one of her hoodies. Black with purple cats in various positions of play and rest. He pretended to be put out, but he thought the hoodie was cute and it did have her sweet scent. He understood why she had taken so quickly to his hoodie.

      He would still get it back one of these days even if she did look breathtakingly adorable in it.

      Finally ready with all their bags packed and by the door, he took one last check around the apartment to make sure they had not forgotten anything. Morrigan waited by the door, tapping away with some piano game until he returned.

      “This will be a dangerous journey.” He could not mask his concern as he returned to her side. “Are you really ready?”

      “I can go anywhere if you’re there with me.” Morrigan slid her mobile phone into the pocket of his hoodie. “That won’t change.”

      “Thank you. I really… wanted to hear that one more time.” Seven smiled at her and she thought she might die from how good it looked on him. She made a promise to herself that she would do everything she could to keep him smiling. “We’ll be on the road for a long time. If you’re tired, you can sleep on the passenger seat.”

      “Alright. But if you get tired let me know and I’ll take over driving.”

      “Can you even drive?” He shot her a bemused look, remembering that he had not spotted a driver license in his original checkup on her.

      “Nope, but I can figure it out.” She giggled at his expression.

      “Morri…” His expression turned serious and her expression changed to mirror his. “I’ve already said this multiple times, but I’ll make sure to protect you no matter what happens. Even if it costs me my life… I swear.”

      “I know. Let’s just both live, okay?”

      “With the unwanted possibility in mind…” He turned away from her to pull something out of his bag. After a moment he turned back to her and presented a newly fixed Meowy, complete with a ribbon around its neck. To complete the adorable image, he had a blush filling his cheeks that made Morrigan’s smile return in full force. “This… You should have this now.”

      “Wow! The robot cat!” She accepted it and planted a kiss on it’s metallic head. She had no idea when he had the time to fix it. Had he done that in the very early morning hours while she was still sleeping? “You fixed it?”

      “Yes… I originally intended to give it to you. I’m sorry I broke it.” Seven bashfully turned away to close his bag back up. “The cat’s programmed to be like 707. The 707 that jokes around all the time and is always bright. If something happens to me… I hope this robot comforts you a bit.”

      “It’s not as good as the real Seven, but thank you.” Morrigan cuddled the robotic cat close to her chest. She watched him as he messed around with his bag before turning to her.

      “I… I’ve never given someone such a caring gift before. I always thought of myself as someone who should be forgotten, so I thought it was pointless to give someone something to remember me by.” His fingers caught the cord to the headphones he constantly wore and twisted them around nervously. “But… here I am, in front of you, now such a different person. I stand here hoping never to be forgotten by you.”

      “Like I could ever forget you.” Moved by his gift and his words, tears sprung into her eyes. She sniffed and threw her arm around him. The robot was uncomfortably pressed into their chests, but neither moved away. “I won’t. No matter what, I’ll never forget you.”

      “I don’t deserve to give you a gift… But if there is a God, I hope he listens.” Seven wrapped his arms around her and leaned his chin against her head. He memorised this moment. The sweet scent of her shampoo. The warmth of her body. Even the uncomfortable press of Meowy. He never wanted to forget a single detail of that moment. “I hope he lets me be a bit selfish. I hope he lets us return safe from this journey… so that I can give you many more gifts in the future…”

      “Yes.” Morrigan pulled back and pecked his cheek. “Let’s go find the truth and come back safe. Maybe next time I’ll be the one giving you a gift.”

      “You already have. The happiness of having a relationship with someone forever… the hope of meeting a new future with someone… I thought this was a dream I could never achieve as 707.” He pecked her on the cheek, then not content with that he claimed her lips with his. “You’ve brought out the new me. I’ll never forget that. I’ll do my best at life. I’ll protect you with everything I have. Regardless of what truth is waiting for me… I’ll try my best to be calm.”

      “Good.” She was struck speechless. What could she say in response to that? To hear that she had made such an impact on him, to see the hope shining in his gorgeous eyes?

      Was it right right for her to be this happy with everything they still had to face?

      “Time to leave meow!” Meowy chirped from between them, stirring to life. “Leave meow!”

      “Oh, there goes the alarm. I set it just before.” He slipped his pinkie beneath a bit of her metal fur at her neck to poke a hidden button and shut off the alarm. “I’ll tell you how this robot operates as we go. Did you get all your stuff?”

      “Yeah.” Morrigan had packed pretty much everything she owned, which really did not amount to very much of anything. She had carefully packed all of her clothes into a single bag. All the other loose odds and ends found their spot in second bag.

      Seven could not return to the bunker that had been his home for years. The agency would have it under constant surveillance on the off chance he would return. Morrigan could not return to the apartment Mint Eye had provided for her and her sister as a cover residence since the cult knew where it was and likely had it under surveillance as well.

      Neither of them had a home outside of Rika’s old apartment. Even though they packed everything they needed and only left behind things the would not missed, they figured that they would likely end up back at the apartment after all was said and done. It would be safest until they managed to find out where to go after that.

      “Give me the heavier bag.” Seven had pulled his own bag over his shoulder and held a hand out for Morrigan’s clothing bag. He was smiling as she handed over the bag. “Let’s go now.”

      “Yup.” She shouldered her second bag and followed him out of the apartment, making sure to lock it up behind her. “Together!”

      “God willing… always.”


	32. Day 10 - Zen and Jaehee

      “I swear if she doesn’t get back safely I’m going to find her and kill her myself.” Maria growled as she paced back and forth. She had barely ate and had tried to relax with some television, but her nerves were getting the best of her. It had not been that long since Seven and Morrigan left out and she could practically feel her hair turning silver and somehow knew she would not look as good as Zen with silver hair. “And I’ll kill Seven too! And then bring them back an smash their stupid heads together.”

      “They’ll be fine.” Zen had been watching her pace and listening to her rant for a while now. “Those two are smart and resourceful on top of being annoyingly stubborn.”

      “I know, but I hate them so much right now.” She threw herself onto the couch, nearly kicking Zen in the process. “I could’ve gone with! I could be helping them right now but nooooo! They have to go off and be heroes!”

      “Right now I’m pretty sure all they’re doing is driving.” The albino actor lifted her legs so he could sit. “Would you really want to be in a car with Seven?”

      “Oh god, no.” Her eyes widened and she flipped over onto her back to look at him. “Please tell me he’s a safe driver.”

      “He is. You’ve seen his cars. He takes good care of them.” Zen patted her leg gently before lifting a foot. He started massaging her foot and worked his fingers against the tense muscles until he could see her visibly relax into the couch. A smile spread across his face at finally finding a way to help her.

      “Dude, not fair.” Maria whined softly as she laid her head back against the cushion. Bit by bit her nerves were easing under the skillful work of his fingers. Why did he have to be good at this too? “Men like you shouldn’t exist.”

      “Because I’m too perfect?” He grinned and switched to her other foot. She moaned as he started his work anew and heat rose into his cheeks. “You’ve got a lot to stress over. Just relax and let me spoil you a bit, princess.”

      “Don’t you have rehearsal or something?” She watched his face as he concentrated on her foot. It felt really, really good and she could get used to this kind of treatment. “You haven’t even done your morning workout yet.”

      “I’ve got some time off for the party.” Feeling her eyes on him he shot her a smile. “I can’t believe it’s finally tomorrow. So much has happened in the past ten days.”

      “You can say that again.” She agreed with a small, nervous laugh. “I think we’ll have a good number of guests. Morri and I both worked on them. She was even replying to them after the whole security system threat.”

      “You both worked really hard on it.” Zen’s hands moved to her calves and began working out the knots in her muscles there. “Do you have what you’re wearing ready?”

      “Ehh, nope.” She flushed. She had a dress ready, one that Morrigan had insisted on her getting, but had left it behind at the apartment. “I guess I’ll have to pick something new up today.”

      “I can help you pick something out.” He offered with a grin. “Something fitting for a princess as beautiful as you.”

      “Shut up.” A blush blossomed in her cheeks. “I’m not going to wear anything frilly you know. I’ve never been the girly girl type. My sister, on the other hand, would totally rock the goth princess look.”

      “Hmm, you know the thing about princesses…” Zen ran his fingers down to her ankles. “Princesses are breathtaking no matter what they wear.

      “You’re full of it.” She covered her face to hide her deepening blush.

      “A princess looks good in pants or long dresses.” He gave her ankle a gentle squeeze before running his hands slowly up her legs to brush his fingertips against the hem of her shorts. “And she looks good in shorts and skirts too.”

      “You so need to shut up right now. I can’t take anymore of this.” Maria whined out from behind her hands. Her entire body felt as warm of her face and she was hyper aware of his hands on her lower thighs.

      “If I can’t tell you how beautiful you are…” He shifted out from underneath her. A moment later she could feel the couch dip and his knees on either side of her waist as he leaned over her. Zen’s long hair tickled the back of her hands. “Perhaps I’ll just show you.”

      “Zen…” She spread her fingers to peek up at him.

      “Yes?” He smiled and she snapped her fingers closed with a squeak.

      “Y-you’re…” She swallowed and tried again. “You’re t-too close. And that position…”

      “Tell me to move and I will.” Supporting his weight with one arm, he ran a hand along her forearm and to her wrist. He gave it a gentle tug and she let him reveal half of her face. “Just one word and I’ll stop, but if you don’t say anything… the beast may awaken.”

      “B-but…” Her words dried up in her throat as she stared up at him. His red eyes drew her in and her heartbeat jumped. Did she want this? Part of her did, but part of her wanted to run and hide. So she squeaked.

      “Relax.” Zen smiled gently and nudged her other hand away from her face. His lips brushed against hers so gently she barely felt their soft touch. “Perhaps another time, princess, when your heart’s in it.”

      Maria watched him as he got up. The smile on his face was still comforting and understanding. He offered her his hand and she accepted his help to sit up.

      “The offer still stands if you want me to come with you to find something for the party.” Zen told her gently. “As company. I won’t try anything, okay?”

      “O-okay.” Maria found herself returning his smile even though her face still blazed red. “I’d like that.”

#

 **Jaehee** : Maria, do you have a moment?  
 **Jaehee** : With everything that’s been going on lately, we haven’t had a chance to talk.  
 **Maria** : Yeah, what’s up?  
 **Jaehee** : First of all, how are you doing?  
 **Jaehee** : I know you’re probably worried about your sister right **now.**  
 **Jaehee:** Have faith in Seven though. He won’t let anything happen to her.  
 **Maria** : Thanks Jaehee.  
 **Jaehee** : There’s a few more things I’d like to talk about…  
 **Jaehee** : Though it’s not really my place.  
 **Jaehee** : But as another woman, I thought maybe I can offer some advice?  
 **Maria** : Oh, um, sure.  
 **Jaehee** : May I call?  
 **Maria** : Yeah.  
 **Maria** : I’ll log out and wait for your call then.  
 **Maria has left the chat.**  
 **Jaehee has left the chat.**

 

      It did not take long for Maria’s phone to ring. She swiped to answer the call and put it to her hear.

      “Hello.” She settled into a more comfortable position on the couch.

      “Yes, hello. I’m sorry to call so suddenly.” Jaehee’s voice came through the other end along with the sounds of paper shuffling. Was the woman still working? Better question would be if the woman ever stopped working. “I know we really haven’t had a chance to talk much and I felt this matter was better handled privately.”

      “No big, Jaehee.” Maria smiled a little bit. “I know everyone’s had their hands full. You’ve had a heavy workload even before this party was dumped on your lap.”

      “Ahh, yes.” She sighed. “But it’s nothing I’m not already used to. And it’s nice to hear someone use my name. Your sister…”

      “Is a shameless flirt, I know.” Maria bit back a laugh. “She’s always been a sucker for a pretty lady.”

      “You mean she’s…” Jaehee sounded surprised and coughed to cover it up. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. It just comes as a surprise.”

      “Oh come on, it can’t be that surprising. Morri’s about as subtle as a neon sign on a moonless night.”

      “I suppose that’s true.” Jaehee was quiet for a moment, either adjusting to the new information or signing some paperwork. “Getting back on topic… I wanted to talk to you about Yoosung and Zen. I know you had some trouble with Yoosung.”

      “Ah. Observant as always.” Her smile fell at the reminder of her problem with Yoosung and she sighed. “Yeah, he still hasn’t gotten it through his thick head, I guess.”

      “I’m sorry to hear that.” And she truly did sound sorry. “I do hope he comes around. I may not know you well, and it’s hardly my place, but I thought you two were rather… cute together.”

      “I thought so too but with the whole Rika thing.” Maria hugged her knees to her chest and rested her head against them. “I really like him but knowing that he saw me as Cousin two point oh really hurt.”

      “You’re certainly well within your rights to be hurt.” Jaehee offered sympathetically. “And he should apologise, but… And this is just from my understanding of Yoosung, you may be better off approaching him about this rather than waiting for him to come around.”

      “You think?”

      “Yes. Yoosung is a smart boy. Used to be top of his class before the university.” The assistant paused to try to find the right words to use. “But he’s rather inexperienced with matters like these and Rika’s death hit him harder than it did the rest of us, save Jumin and V.”

      “Zen said something similar.” Maria bit her lip. “He’s been encouraging me to give Yoosung time and all that. As confusing as that is, he’s been really good about this mess.”

      “Confusing?” Jaehee tilted her head and frowned. “Why is it confusing?”

      “Oh, because…” She really hoped Jaehee would not turn against her after her next words. She was well aware the business woman was a fan of Zen’s. “He, uh, has made it pretty damn clear he wants to be more than friends?”

      “Oh?” The other woman needed to take a moment to compute that bit of news. “Really?”

      “Yeah. That’s why it’s confusing. He wants to be with me, yet he’s encouraging me to be cool with Yoosung.” She shook her head as she thought about the situation. “Zen’s a one of a kind gentleman.”

      “With that in mind… The other reason why I called was to talk about Zen’s career.” Maria could easily imagine Jaehee adjusting her glasses. “As an actor that’s gaining popularity, Zen is very susceptible to scandals. I trust that you’ve exercised the utmost care in avoiding such a thing?”

      “Of course.” She had not even left Zen’s house since her first arrival and was definitely not about to blast it on Fakebook or Twipter where she was. “I get how important Zen’s career is. Not just to the fans, but to him as well. He’s worked so hard to reach this point. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise it for him.”

      “That’s good to hear.” Jaehee sighed softly in relief. “So you understand why encouraging his feelings towards you and pursuing a relationship would be a bad idea?”

      “Jaehee, I’m not about to jump into a relationship with anyone at this second.” She grit her teeth as her irritation flared. “I admit I like him. A lot. But he knows where we stand. Until I get things settled and figure out what I’m feeling, nothing will happen. And if I do decide I want to be with Zen, that’s no one business but mine and his. Got me?”

      “I understand and I am sorry for overstepping my boundaries.” She sounded as if she were sorry and sighed before speaking again. “I’m just trying to look out for the both of you.”

      “I know.”

      “And given the circumstances…” Jaehee paused to collect her thoughts before continuing on. “I don’t mean to question your emotions, but are you certain you like him? Is it possible that you’re mistaking appreciation for his kindness as romantic feelings?”

      “I’ve been wondering that myself…” Maria tried to pull her temper in check and reminded herself that Jaehee was just trying to be a good friend. “I thought that at first and though it’s still a bit too early to tell, but I think my feelings might be legitimate.”

      “And Yoosung?”

      “I still like him which is why I’m not making any decisions right now.” Maria was stuck between a rock and a hard place and did not know if this conversation was helping matters any. “Zen’s thankfully been very understanding of it all, but I feel really bad. I know I’m not making things easy for him.”

      “You don’t have to make a decision right now.” Jaehee told her. “Be honest with them and give it some time. Matters of the heart can not be taken lightly.”

      “Yeah, you’re right.” Maria found herself smiling. “Thanks Jaehee.”

      “I’m sorry that I haven’t been much help with that matter.” Jaehee said gently. “And I trust that you’re wise enough to put full thought into the matter.”

      “Yeah, I will.” Although she was no closer to making a decision or understanding her own own emotions, she felt a bit better about it all.

      “I’m sorry to cut this conversation short suddenly, but I have to go now.” Again Maria could hear the shuffling of paperwork. “I hope you have a good day.”

      “It was really nice talking to you, Jaehee, so thanks for calling me.” Maria said with a smile. “I hope we can do this again sometime, hopefully under less stressful circumstances.”

      “I’d like that as well.” The assistant sounded pleasantly surprised. “And know, no matter what happens with your relationships, I do pray for your happiness.”

      “Thanks. I look forward to seeing you at the party.” It was the honest truth. “And maybe we can even have a girl’s night out one of these days.”

      “Maybe we can.” Jaehee made a mental note to see if she could wiggle that into her packed schedule. “Take care.”

      “You too. And thanks, again, for calling.”


	33. Day 10 - Forward Momentum

**Maria** : Morri!  
 **Yoosung** : Are you there yet?  
 **Morrigan** : We’re still on the road. It’s pretty far, but I think we’re making good time.   
**Yoosung** : You both must be tired…  
 **Yoosung** : T_T  
 **Zen has entered the chat.**  
 **Yoosung** : Zen.  
 **Zen** : Morri! Are you okay!?  
 **Zen** : There weren’t any ugly bandits trying to still seven’s car?  
 **Yoosung** : ._.  
 **Yoosung** : What? NO way.  
 **Maria** : Weren’t you the one trying to calm me down earlier???  
 **Morrigan** : Well… I think we saw flying squirrels that looked like desert cats lol   
**Maria** : Really sis, really?  
 **Yoosung** : lololololol  
 **Yoosung** : No way that’s true lolol

 

      Morrigan giggled and Seven glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She shifted in her seat and poked her toe at the stereo until the music coming from the speakers lowered. It did not take her long to explain the joke and soon Seven was laughing along with her.

  
 **Zen** : Lololololol  
 **Zen** : You’re still funny.  
 **Zen** : But… Yoosung? Are you okay?  
 **Zen** : Did you go to school?  
 **Yoosung** : I can’t really get myself to go to school today.  
 **Yoosung** : I’m taking a break since the party’s tomorrow.  
 **Maria** : Understandable.  
 **Morrigan** : Yes, you must still be in shock. Rest up.  
 **Zen** : I already got out of practice today too.  
 **Zen** : Later Maria and I are going shopping.  
 **Yoosung** : You’re going shopping together?!  
 **Maria** : Yeah. I need to get a new outfit for the party since I left mine behind at the apartment.  
 **Morrigan** : Shame that. You would’ve looked killer in that dress. Slay girl, slay!  
 **Maria** : Shut up.  
 **Yoosung** : Are you two… going together?

 

      “I think Yoosung’s finally starting to realise he’s got some competition!” Morrigan half-sang to Seven.

      “Really now?”

      “Yeah. She’s going shopping with Zen later.” She explained with a grin. As much as she was hoping for Yoosung and Maria to make up, she thought that Zen would be a good match for her sister as well. Truthfully she was not sure which guy she was cheering for at the moment. “He’s finally asking if they’re going to the party together.”

      “Took him long enough.” Seven clicked his tongue against his teeth. “Think this’ll finally light a fire under his ass?”

      “Maybe. He’s gotta do something soon if he wants to get with her.” She drummed her fingers against her phone as she turned her attention back to the chat. “At this rate, it’s looking like Zen’s gonna win.”

  
 **Maria** : Well, yeah? I’m staying at his house, after all. Only makes sense that I go with him.  
 **Zen** : Jaehee sent over the guest list today.   
**Zen** : She wanted me to greet them.  
 **Zen** : So once we get there, you can go meet the others if you want, Maria.  
 **Morrigan** : I’m sorry I can’t go. Please take care of the party for me. ^^  
 **Zen** : No need to be sorry…! Don’t say that.  
 **Zen** : I may not have a lot of energy right now, but I’m glad that there’s something I can do right now.  
 **Maria** : After all the work we put in. I’m sorry you can’t be there to enjoy it.  
 **Yoosung** : If we think about Rika, we have to have the party tomorrow no matter what…  
 **Yoosung** : But I’m also afraid that we might find some more shocking truth.  
 **Zen** : I’m worried about that too.  
 **Zen** : And for their safety, I hope everything works out.  
 **Zen** : And we can all smile soon.  
 **Morrigan** : That day will come… Trust us.  
 **Yoosung** : Okay! I’ll try to cheer up!  
 **Zen** : God, Seven gave me so much help.  
 **Zen** : I feel bad that all I can do is cheer for him.  
 **Yoosung** : Tomorrow’s supposed to be a good day… But I’m worried something else will happen once V comes back T_T  
 **Zen** : No way…;;  
 **Maria** : Tomorrow will be a good day. Don’t worry!  
 **Zen** : Let’s first try to calm ourselves down.  
 **Zen** : Just like what Jaehee said before, us doing what we can in our places, is what helps Seven.  
 **Yoosung** : That’s true but…  
 **Morrigan** : I understand that you’re nervous, but please have more faith in Seven.  
 **Yoosung** : I do trust him!  
 **Yoosung** : I think it’s just my problem… thinking that Rika’s involved in all this…  
 **Yoosung** : I can’t calm down.  
 **Zen** : We should all take care of ourselves.  
 **Zen** : The party’s not our top priority.  
 **Zen** : But two of the members can’t make it.  
 **Zen** : We should at least try to cheer up!  
 **Maria** : Yup!  
 **Yoosung** : You’re right, Zen. T_T  
 **Yoosung** : I should go wash my face and try to calm down again.  
 **Zen** : That’s a good idea.   
**Zen** : Don’t skip your meals even if you skip school.  
 **Yoosung** : Okay, thanks.  
 **Morrigan** : Cheer up~!  
 **Yoosung** : I’ll try to come back as super bright and positive Yoosung to fill Seven’s place!  
 **Yoosung** : I’ll get going.  
 **Maria** : Wait, before you go…  
 **Maria** : Yoosung, we should really talk.  
 **Yoosung** : Yeah…   
**Maria** : I’ll call you after I finish talking here, okay?  
 **Yoosung** : Okay. Talk to you soon.  
 **Yoosung has left the chat.**

 

      “Going to try to settle matters with him?” Zen asked from his perch on the kitchen counter.

      “Yeah.” Maria lifted her eyes from the phone and gave him an apologetic smile. “Jaehee advised me to be honest so I figured it’s time I push the issue. Come what may, I’d like to at least be friends with him. I can’t do that with this issue hanging in the air between us.”

      “Do what you gotta.” He gave her an understanding smile of encouragement. “I’ve got your back, no matter what the results are.”

  
 **Zen** : God… the party’s tomorrow but it feels like we’re having a funeral.  
 **Maria** : Lead the way and have everyone cheer up Zen!  
 **Morrigan** : Yeah~ everything will be okay.  
 **Zen** : I’m trying, haha.   
**Zen** : Today might be a bit gloomy…  
 **Zen** : But tomorrow I’ll cheer up and complete the mission Jaehee gave me!  
 **Zen** : Morrigan, will you please let us know if something happens?  
 **Morrigan** : Alright, Zen, good luck.  
 **Zen** : Thank you.  
 **Zen** : I’ll trust you and go now. ^_^  
 **Zen** : See you later.  
 **Maria** : Talk to you later, sis. Stay safe!  
 **Morrigan** : I will.

 

      Zen shot Maria a smile and gave her an encouraging thumbs up before disappearing into his bedroom to get ready for their shopping trip and give her some privacy to make her phone call.

      Taking a deep breath, she found Yoosung’s name in her contacts list and put her ear as it began to ring. With every second that passed and Yoosung did not answer, she felt her bravery faltering.

      She was was on the verge of giving up when the ringing stopped and she heard the click of the phone being answered.

      “Sorry, hi.” Yoosung sounded a bit breathless. “I was washing my face and didn’t hear the phone.”

      “Oh, it’s okay.” She mentally grasped for the remains of her bravery. “Uh… Yoosung, about the whole you mistaking me for Rika thing…”

      “I figured that’s what this call was about.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything bad by it, but I understand that I still screwed up. I know it took me a while to figure this out… But I hope you can forgive me.”

      “I do.” Maria breathed a sigh of relief. “Just… don’t do it again, okay? No girl wants to be mistaken for another.”

      “Yeah, I get that.” Yoosung was quiet for a long moment. Long enough to cause Maria to check her phone to make sure the connection was still intact. “So… Has Zen been treating you alright?”

      “He’s been a perfect gentleman.” She assured him. “He’s been really great so far.”

      “That’s good…” Yet he did not sound thrilled by that. “So you’re going to the party with him. Does that mean you’re…”

      “Dating?” She finished the question for him, clearly able to see where Yoosung was going. “No, we’re not. We’re just going as friends.”

      “Oh good.” He perked up a bit at that. “So you two aren’t… You’re not interested in him?”

      “I am.” Maria admitted, sticking to the path of honesty. “And he’s interested in me, but! But he knows I’m interested in you, too. So we’re in a holding pattern right now until things are figured out.”

      “W-wait, you’re interested in me?”

      “I thought that was already perfectly clear.” She cast her eyes to the ceilings and wished the powers that be would give her patience with the dense man. “Yes, Yoosung. I like you. As more than just a friend. That’s why I was so ticked off at you.”

      “O-oh!”

      “Yeah, well…” She glanced at the time on the wall. She still had to get ready to leave for the shopping trip so she would have to get off the phone soon if they were going to stay on schedule. “I need to know something… And you don’t have to answer right this second.”

      “What’s that?”

      “Do you return my feelings or should I be moving on?” She waited a beat to let her question sink in before sighing and standing up. “Right, so… Think about it. Figure out your own feelings. I gotta go.”

      “O-okay.” Yoosung sounded quiet on the other end of the line. “I’ll talk to you later.”

 

#

      Maria and Zen set out with a handful of bodyguards trailing after them. The stares they received from strangers as they made their way onto the subway made Maria uncomfortable. She focused on Zen. He was seemingly completely at ease. It made sense. He was an actor, after all, and had a good number of fans even if he was not very well known yet.

      That and he was handsome enough to have men and women both taking double takes.

      She was not sure if she wanted to stand closer to him or further away. If she stood close, would she end up in pictures some of the bystanders were not-so-sneakily taking of him? Yet she could hear some girls talking and egging each other on to approach him.

      Maria felt a spike of something like jealousy coil in her gut. She knew she had no place, but she edged closer to Zen. Noticing the movement, he shot her a winsome smile and slid his arm around her shoulders to give her a small hug.

      She was a bit of a scumbag, because seeing the disappointed look on the faces of those girls made the sick coil in her ease.

      “Better?” Zen leaned in close enough for his breath to warm her ear and started a blush to rise in her cheeks. “Is it the crowd that’s getting or those girls over there?”

      “I-I…” She swallowed a wave of nervousness. “Shut up.”

      “Don’t worry, princess.” He gave his her earlobe a gentle tug that had her squeaking in surprise as heat flooded through her. “I don’t have eyes for anyone but you.”

      Zen made a point to stay close to her. Either his arm was resting over her shoulders or around her waist or his hand was against her lower back or holding hers. By the time they made it to the mall she was certain her blush had become a permanent fixture on her face.

      He was ever the gentleman. He let her lead the way and browse to her liking. He stayed close and carried the outfits she wanted to try on and occasionally plucked something from the rack she would never have considered wearing.

      Shopping for clothes was usually a pain in the rear for Marie. Her wide hips and full rear made finding fitting clothing in stores filled to the brim with clothing made for more petite bodies a difficult task. She and her sister both had made it a point to avoid clothing shopping as much as possible. The frustration with not finding something nice in either of their sizes sometimes left them emotional and distract.

      Zen made it a lot bearable. He scoffed at some of the sizes and was good at fishing out outfits that looked like they would fit well. He was complimentary about nearly everything he pulled out of the rack for her and that she picked out for herself. When it came time for her to try it on, he eagerly shooed her towards the dressing rooms and sat down on the bench outside to wait for her.

      “The black dress is a no-go.” She called out to him as she tugged down the skirt of a form-fitting black dress. It was surprisingly, tapered in at her waist with bunched fabric that made her figure appear more like an hourglass it really was. The top was a bit daring for her tastes, dipping far too low for the comfort, and the skirt rode high on her thighs.

      “Aww, but I bet it looks amazing on you.”

      “It does, but I’m never stepping foot in public in something like this.” She poked her head out of the dressing room and stuck her tongue out at him. “Nice try, Zen.”

      “Can’t blame a man for trying.” He grinned at her and crooked a finger, beckoning her to come out from behind the door. “Can I have a peek, pretty please?”

      “What about the beast?” She glanced down at herself and then back at him, her cheeks blazing red. “Sure you can keep him under wraps?”

      “Mmmm.” He gave it some thought before nodding slowly. “I can as long as my princess wills it.”

      “Okay, fine… But I’m not getting it.” She stepped out from behind the door. The effect on Zen was immediate. Even though the dress was one of the ones he had plucked off the rack, he had not expected her to fill it out so well. He sat up straighter, eyes going wide and cheeks filling with colour. Red eyes went dark and half-lidded with unconceivable desire.

      “Wow.” He voice had gone a bit deeper. “Yeah, you definitely can’t wear that out. Any man would have trouble keeping his eyes off you.”

      “T-thanks…” She tried to ignore the heat that rushed through her body at his words, pooling low in her belly. “I’ll, uh… go try something else on.”

      “Okay.” Zen’s eyes moved over her body, drinking in the sight of her before he forced himself to avert his gaze. “You do look beautiful though.”

      With the door safely between them, Maria put her back to it and pressed her hand against her chest. Her heart was racing and she felt wound up like a tight spring. The way he looked at her made her entire body overheat. She pressed her thighs together and stared up at the ceiling, forcing herself to breathe.

      What a mess they both were to be so easily undone by one another without a touch.

      Maria made a point to not step outside of the dressing room in anything risque again, but the lingering tension between them had not dissipated with more conservative dresses. Eventually she found one she favoured that fit and got dressed again before tucking it under her arm and leaving the room without modelling it to Zen.

      “I’m done.” She lifted the garment and hurried past him, avoiding his searching gaze. The dress was paid for and bagged for a full minute or two before Zen left the dressing room area. He had needed some time to recollect himself. When he could stand without his pants feeling too tight, he took a moment to gather up the rejected dresses and hand it off to a worker waiting outside the dressing room area.

      He had told her he could keep the beast under wraps and he was a gentleman of his word. He kept that in mind during the entire journey back to his place. Once she was safely home he made an excuse and went out for a jog. Although he had been somewhat worn out earlier that day, he suddenly had extra energy to burn.


	34. Day 10 - Infiltration

      “We’ve been in the car all along…” Seven pulled the car off the dirt path alongside the trees. A moment later the purring engine silenced and he turned to her. “Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

      “I’m fine. You?” The car happened to be one of Seven’s babe cars that had been stashed around the city. He had worried about the agency tracking it, but they needed something familiar and fast for the trip. It was fairly luxurious inside with comfortable seats, so the ride had not been uncomfortable even if Morrigan was eager to finally stretch her legs. “Are we here?”

      “Yes… It was a long ride.” He leaned forward and pointed ahead of them. Just beyond the tree line a building was barely visible. “All the secrets will be there. You should prepare yourself right now.”

      “Yeah.” She leaned forward to stare at the building. Mint Eye headquarters. The mansion she had spent far too long in and now willingly went back to help Seven in discovering and facing the truth. She was as prepared as she was ever going to be. “I’ve never really got a good look at this place before. When I was here… All I could think about was leaving. It’s almost pretty in a messed up kind of way.”

      It seemed so innocuous, in a way. A pristine, white mansion hidden in the mountainous woods. The walls were white and windows covered with blue curtains. The mint roof stood out against the bright blue of a cloudy sky.

      Yet the logo of an eye, high above double wooden doors, sent a shiver of unease down her spine to remind her that it was anything but innocent.

      She still had to fight down a rise of fear that the sight of the building pulled forward in her.

      “Morri, listen carefully.” He waited until her eyes were on him again. “I’m going to aim to get as much information as I can from this place. So before we go in, we have to figure out how this building works. First, I’m going to disrupt the building security system for about five minutes.”

      Five minutes. Five minutes was a short window to work with, but a long time to worry about stumbling into any enemies.

      “Then I’ll try to infiltrate…” Seven reached into the backseat and pulled out the blueprints for the building. The paper was marked with colour and he began pointing them out. “Look at this, the green part here is the view parameters of the security cameras. The parts in red are alarm devices. As soon as the security system is down, we’ll enter through the blue part here.”

      “Yay for colour coordinated plans.” She half-joked as she studied the map, trying to memorise the colours and pathways.

      “Once we get in, this is the building layout.” He trailed his finger through the blue section to a room he had circled before they left the apartment. “Our first goal is to go to that circled part over there. I found that most data transfers were coming from that location. I don’t know what the inside is like… but it’s probably going to be the information room. I plan to go in there and hack into the computer myself.”

      “Right.” She took mental note of the path they needed to take to get to the room. If that was where the data transfers had come from, then chances were good it was well within Saeran’s territory of the mansion. A place she had never been during her forced stay of the headquarters. “We can do this.”

      “And about Saeran…” As if sensing where her thoughts were, he offered her a small smile. “I plan to find the safest way to find him once I analyse the information I acquire. But we might run into him. And if that happens… I’ll just have to pray to God to make everything work. Don’t ever leave my side, alright?”

      “I won’t.” Morrigan laid her hand over his and gave it a squeeze. There was no way she was going to leave him. Not in the belly of the enemy and not ever. “Let’s do this and go back home.”

      “With that encouragement I know we can do this. I’ll make sure to be wide awake, so you just follow me right behind, alright?” He gave her a squeeze in return, eyes on her. After a moment he retrieved his hand to put away the blueprints and pull out his laptop. “I’ll start hacking into the security system.”

      “I’d wish you luck, but we’ve got this, babe.”

#

      They had exited the car, using it as a table for his laptop, and giving them both a chance to stretch their muscles after being cooped up for so long. Morrigan had taken a seat on the hood of the car, near Seven’s laptop, and had played with one of her mobile apps until he had said he was going into the RFA chat.

 

 **707** : I came to update everyone but no one’s here.

 **Morrigan** : Yeah, I guess everyone’s busy because of the party.

 **707** : Should we send them a photo or something? Lolol

 **707** : Come here for a sec…

 

      Seven lifted his head and crooked his finger at her. She slid off the edge of the car and moved to his side. His arm slid around her waist, tucking her in close. He angled his phone to snap a selfie and wiggled his fingers against her side to make her giggle.

      “You better send that to me.” The picture turned out pretty spectacular. Before she could take a closer look Seven had sent the picture along to the rest of the chat.

 

 **707** : Ahem. >.<

 **Morrigan** : We look like a cute couple.

 **707** : <3!

 **707** : We thought the same thing… ^^

 

      “I wonder if the others will notice…” Morrigan hummed softly as she zoomed in on the picture. Seven’s hoodie covered most of it, casting her neck in shadow, but she could still see the fading marks he had left on her neck.

      “Notice what?” He leaned over to look at her phone. “How cute we are?”

      “That goes without saying.” She pointed at her neck in the photograph, careful not to touch the sensitise smart screen of her phone. “I was actually meaning the lovebites you left.”

      “It was a dream.” His cheeks turned red and he poked her neck running his finger over the imprint his teeth had left. Knowing that it had somehow really happened sent a rush of desire through him for a repeat.

      Putting that thought away for later, Seven forced his mind to get back on track. Now was not the time to think sinful thoughts about his girlfriend no matter how tempting the little she-demon could be.

 

 **707** : All the members here!

 **707** : I’m hacking right now lol

 **707** : I’m almost finished hacking into the building security system…

 **707** : So once the system’s down, Morri and I will go in.

 **707** : We’re going to what we think is the information room.

 **707** : I’m going to acquire as much information as I can, analyse it, and decide what to do.

 **707** : Of course… this is just a plan.

 **Morrigan** : I don’t think we’ll run into any enemies if we just follow your plan.

 **707** : Thanks for trusting me ^^

 **707** : I’ll take care of it as fast as I can and as safely as I can so have hope.

 **707** : But… I feel a bit strange.

 **707** : This won’t be the last, but coming to the messenger, I can’t help but think that.

 **707** : this might be the last thing I say here…

 **707** : I shouldn’t have Morrigan see me like this ^^;;

 **Morrigan** : Don’t think that. We’ll come back safe!

 **707** : Yes… we will.

 **707** : Still, I’d like to say this.

 **707** : I’ve said thanks to Morri multiple times already…

 **707** : But I’m sincerely grateful to everyone in the RFA.

 **707** : I had to meet everyone while hiding who I am, but everyone trusted me and was kind.

 **707** : I was happy to talk to everyone as the bright and quirky 707 but on one hand…

 **707** : I felt sad that I had to leave soon.

 **707** : Thinking that the members and Morri will forget me some day really got to me… although I never showed it.

 **707** : 707 was always ‘temporary’ and Luciel was a ‘secret agent’…

 **707** : But from now on everyone will see the real me.

 **707** : Especially Morri.

 **707** : Morri… do you already know my real name?

 **Morrigan** : Yes, please let everyone know here too.

 **707** : My real name is Saeyoung… Saeyoung Choi.

 **707** : I’m not a weirdo, a hacker… I’m just Saeyoung who grew up in a bad place… and had to wear the mask of 707!

 **707** : Once this is over I’m going to get rid of that name, quit working as an agent as Luciel, and go back to living as Saeyoung.

 **707** : Do you think… I can really do that?

Morrigan: Of course. <3

 **707** : <3 I’m so happy to hear that. <3

 **707** : Okay. Let’s cheer up and do this!

 **707** : Shall we go in now?

 **707** : Once everyone sees this… Wish us all the luck!

 

      They left the chat and silenced their phones. Seven grabbed what he needed for the infiltration and put everything else back in the car. The hack completed and all he needed to do was press a button to deactivate the security system.

v“Before we go…” Morrigan grabbed him by the collar and tugged him down. Forever swayed by her whims, he let her manhandle him and eagerly returned the kiss she gave him. “I’d say that was for luck, but I just really wanted to kiss you.”

#

      Infiltrating the headquarters was a stessful piece of cake. The security system went down smoothly and they made quick time through into the building. It was around noon, thankfully, which meant the cultists should be busy with their midday meal. The coast was clear and they made it to the marked room without any difficult.

      “Morri, keep an ear out for footsteps. I don’t think anyone knows where here yet.” He knelt in front of a door with a passcode lock, not unlike the one at Rika’s apartment. Seven pulled the laptop out of his bag ad got to work on it. “This is the room where most data transfers happen. I’m going to hack into the lock system, so just wait a bit.”

      Morrigan toned out the familiar tapping of his fingers against the keyboard and pressed her back against the wall as she listened. The silence was heavy on her and in every passing moment she expected it to be broken by some stray cultist wondering down the hall.

      “Found the code.” The whisper of Seven’s laptop made her jump. “CY21MK#201.J142… complete.”

      The lock disengaged and they quickly slipped inside. The room hummed with technology. One wall was covered completely with servers and modems. There was a large desk situated in the middle of the room with enough monitors to make any gamer die of jealousy.

      Three large ones at eye level, a smaller, long one at chest level, and six monitors suspended above it all. Most of the monitors were on, running text against a background that cast eerie blue light over the room.

      “This is… I knew it. This is where the server is…” Seven quickly checked to make sure they were truly alone in the room before making his way towards the computer system.

      “Do you think Saeran hacked into our system here?” Morrigan ran her fingers along the back of the chair. It was cold, much like everything else in Mint Eye. The white walls could never truly hold warmth.

      “That’s very likely. This computer probably hacked into my algorithm…” Seven set down his laptop on the desk, his eyes trailing over Saeran’s setup. He motioned down and his emotions welled up to choke him at the idea of Saeran sitting at that desk. “Look at this keyboard. The coating’s almost off. Someone’s been typing for a very long time here. God… where in the world did he learn how to hack? Why did he have to learn this… I want to know.”

      “First… if Saeran really used this computer, we’d better start transferring the materials.” Morrigan nudged him gently with her hand. “We don’t have time for questions right now.”

      “Oh, right. I’m sorry.” The smile he shot her was shaky. He turned to his laptop and pulled out equipment as he got to work. “The toggle that I brought… here it is. First, plug it into the one that looks most important… then the password… I knew it. Connect the cable attached to my laptop, open password macro… RK184JP okay. Open window… The most important information is usually the most recent one… So arrange everything in the latest order and start send…”

      He muttered to himself as he worked on plugging in cables to his laptop and Saeran’s computer. It was obvious in the smooth movements that he had done this many times before. Even unfamiliar with the Mint Eye setup, he did not hesitate in hooking up his laptop and getting to work.

      “Seven, are you transferring the information already?” She peered over his shoulder to see a bar showing the progress of the data transfer. “You’re so fast.”

      It’s what I do all the time. I’m not proud of it.” He checked the transfer bar before pulling up a window with temperature gauges on it. “We have to watch over the transfer process. We have to do it fast so you use 100% of the power. Then the central system might get over heated.”

      “That’s okay.” A voice spoke from their left. I attached a nice cooler.”

      “Saeran?” Morrigan turned in time to see the mint-eyed male stepping out from the shadows. They had missed the door in the dark corner of the room and had not expect anyone to be in the small room that had appeared to be a storage closet on their map.

      “Hello.” Saeran wore a placid smile as he greeted them. His eyes though flickered with displeasure as they moved over Morrigan, lingering on the yellow and black hoodie she wore. “Nice to see you again, should I say…?”

      “Saeran!” Seven’s voice turned his cold, minty gaze away from her.

      “I expected this. I knew you’d come here first if you come to Magenta. I’ve been seeing traces of an anonymous hacker hacking into our system. I knew it was you.” He smiled so pleasantly as if they were friends having a nice chat. He approached the computers, sparing a glance towards Seven’s laptop before turning back to face them. “But I had no idea you hacked into the satellite to see the exteriors. You found our blind spot and got in. I admit, you’re pretty good.”

      “What now?” Morrigan directed the question to both of the twins. They did not have a plan for facing Saeran and she did not know if they could just grab the equipment and run with whatever information had already been transferred. “Saeran, what are you planning on doing with us? Will you let us leave?”

      “I don’t have any plans yet.” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug and his oversized coat slid down to bare more of the Mint Eye logo tattooed onto his arm. “Maybe I should start thinking about that.”

      “Saeran…” Seven stared at his brother, unmoving. Facing him again, like this, with the truth of V and Rika’s betrayal so fresh broke open wounds that had no time to heal.

      “Don’t look so surprised. I just came here because I found our security cameras were hacked.” He motioned carelessly towards Seven’s laptop, but made no moves to stop the data transfer. “I was a bit surprised too. I thought you’d come here after your ‘party’ or whatever. You were faster than I expected.”

      “So you knew about the party…” He did not sound surprised by that. Mint Eye knew far too much about the RFA as it was. It was no wonder they knew about the party too. “I don’t know what to say… There are so many things I want to ask, to say.”

      “I suppose so.” Saeran leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest.

      “Saeran… We really need to talk.” There was a touch of desperation in Seven’s voice. The need to reach past the pain and barrier between him and his other half was strong. “Can’t we look past all those emotions for now and talk?”

      “Talk? Talking… with someone who secretly entered another person’s home to steal information…”

      “As if you’re one to talk…” Morrigan’s mutter went ignored by the unstable twin.

      “Stop treating me like an idiot.” Despite the sharp edge in Saeran’s voice, he still wore that sickly calm smile. “I’m sick of not doing anything and falling for your lies.”

      “Saeran…” Morrigan stepped forward and touched his sleeve. Startled by the sudden touch, the white-haired hacker turned his gaze onto her. “Still please listen. Nothing will change just by you listening.”

      “Why should I listen to him, Angel?” There was something in his gaze. A softness, almost, that made her think she had a chance at getting him to listen.

      “Please.” She pressed at that softness by giving him a small smile. “Just listen for a moment.”

      “Saeran, if you’re talking about our childhood…” Seven’s eyes moved from his twin to Morrigan and back again. “There’s a misunderstanding.”

      “Is that how you’re going to justify it? A misunderstanding? I guess you have an ego then?” Saeran’s eyes snapped away from Morrigan and onto his brother. “You used your own brother to escape that hellish house. I guess” you don’t want to admit that.”

      “No… I didn’t use you.” Seven could only hope his sincerity got through the lies his brother had been told.

      “Then how else would you put it?”

      “I left to help you.” He wanted to reach for his brother so badly, but he was afraid moving would shatter the tenuous peace between them. “You’d understand if you listen to my side of the story…”

      “‘To help me’…? Is that your excuse now? I expected it, but you’re still not honest.” He shook his head and turned to Morrigan, sliding an arm around her waist. Saeran leaned in close to speak in her ear. “Morrigan, you be careful too. Didn’t he tell you that he’d protect you, make you happy…? As someone who’s been there before… don’t trust him on that. He’ll abandon you too one day.”

      “Saeran, I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding. Please listen to what Seven has to say.” She tried not to react to his closeness even as her cheeks flared with warmth and ice ran through her veins.

      “Ahaha. This woman is totally brainwashed.” Saeran gave her a squeeze that was a bit too forceful to be anything but threatening. “That’s okay. We can fix that. You know what we can do here, don’t you, Angel?”

      “Please… just listen to me.”

      “If you’re going to spill out another lie, then no need.” Saeran’s expression and voice flattened out. “I know the truth now.”

      “Saeran. I did not tell you lies when we were little. I meant everything.” Seven’s hands balled into fists at his side. “I meant when I said I’d protect you, that I’d get us out of there together… I swear.”

      “You want me to believe that?” Saeran scoffed and released Morrigan to pinch her cheek. “You hear this, Angel? Does he think I’m stupid?”

      “I changed my name and became a secret agent not to abandon you and live a good life on my own.” Seven explained, closing his eyes against the painful memory. “I believed that we had to part ways first and change our identities to escape our father’s eyes.”

      “Who thought of that insane idea?” Saeran laughed. “Ridiculous!”

      “V did. And… V promised that he and Rika would take good care of you once I left!” Saying it out loud only reminded him of how foolish he had been to trust the couple. Wholeheartedly he had put his trust into them and never once questioned them. Saeran suffered as a result and he could never forgive himself for that. “I trusted his promise and left. It was so hard to leave you Saeran… really.”

      “And last time when he saw you…” Morrigan’s voice drew Saeran’s gaze once again. “That’s when he realised that V didn’t keep his promise.”

      “That’s fairly convincing.” With his view of the world shifting, just a little, Saeran felt off kilter. There was just the tiniest bit of doubt within him, fuelled by the sliver that remained of the Saeran he used to be. He shook his head, shaking away the doubt and snarled. “A lot of people would fall for that!”

      “I didn’t make this up!” Seven insisted. “It’s the truth!”

      “But you’re not just any other liar… I have another believable story. Want to listen?” Saeran paused for a second, but dove into his story without giving either of them time to respond. “This is how it started. That man who lived in a hellish home and saw his weak brother and got the courage to escape one day. Oh, I can use weak Saeran as bait and comfortably escape that monster of a mother!”

      “No…”

      “But I feel bad for him now. I’ll have to take good care of him… Since I feel like I’m living a better life when I see my weak brother. But one day I’ll leave this place, team up with V to create RFA, have parties, chat online, and have fun!” “Saeran is just a burden… Yeah! I’ll feel much better to just disappear without a word~!”

      “That’s not true! How could you think that!” Seven’s hand lifted to reach to him, grasping at empty hair. “I left without a word… because I thought mom would find out if I told you beforehand!”

      “Oh, so that’s what you intended~!” Saeran’s voice was disturbingly cheerful as he spoke. “Once you find out how miserable I was with that woman alone after you left, you won’t be able to say that.”

      “Saeran, what really happened?” Morrigan touched his sleeve. He jerked away from her.

      “What happened… yes. At first, I looked for you… the sun came up and the morning came in that hell, but you weren’t there. I looked and looked. I was so worried. I worried that you might be dead, that our father got to you! I cried for days.” As Saeran’s spoke his voice grew less stable along with his emotions. It hit higher pitches and his consonants were hit harder. “No matter how many times that woman strangled me, hit me, threatened me for being noisy, the naive me cried for days missing you. Did he leave me because he was sick of me? Was he mad at me? Still, he’ll come back. Yes, he’s my brother… my brother… brother!”

      “Saeran…” Seven had not imagined his brother had suffered so much after he left. All this time, even after seeing that V and Rika had lied, he had still hoped his twin’s suffering had been minimum.

      “I thought you were dead. But… once I found out that you were alive, the shock… haha…” There was no joy in Saeran’s laughter. “I won’t be able to put into words.”

      “Saeran I swear… I thought everyone would live happily once I left. If I knew you were having a hard time I would have-!”

      “No need to write a novel.” The mint-eyed man’s mood had jumped again, levelling out to a empty calm. “You never saved me. You pushed me into a deep dark hole of despair. If I hadn’t met my Savior, I would’ve lived a miserable life with that woman and starved to death with shackles on my ankles.”

      “The Savior.” Morrigan could not hide the disgust in her voice. The woman’s face was fuzzy in her mind, but her sickly sweet voice echoed nonsense in her ears. “Did she really save you, Saeran, by taking you to this farse she calls paradise?”

      “What the hell happened after I left!?” The redhead dropped his hands to his side. The blind worship his brother had for the Savior, the leader of the cult, sickened him.

      “Shut up, Angel.” Saeran’s eyes were cold as he shot her a glare before turning that hateful look onto his brother. “You want to know so you can use me more? I’m not that little weak Saeran you used to know. You don’t know how I felt as I hacked to trace you for years…! You will never understand everything I went through!”

      “No, I won’t…” Seven sighed. “I’m sorry.”

      “You’re apologising now?”

      “I believed that V and Rika saved you and that you were happy… but… I as a fool to have believed that.” There were tears in Seven’s eyes as he faced the result of his failure. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you till the end!”

      “Don’t apologise now! Nothing will change.” Saeran’s hands went to his head. Pale fingers tangled in his hair as he snarled at his brother. His voice was hysterical and cracked as he yelled. “You liar! Traitor!”

      “Saeran…” Seven’s plea went unheard.

      “You’re really mistaken if you think I’ll forgive you with just that.”

      “I tried to find out how you were doing even after I became a secret agent. I wasn’t allowed to, but I knew that I’d never feel okay without knowing that you’re happy…” Seven tried to tell himself that Saeran’s emotional reaction meant he was being heard and that there was still a chance to get through to him. “So I asked Rika how you were doing! Please believe me. Everything I’m saying is the truth. The year I turned twenty Rika gave me a floppy disk without letting the agency know. Inside were pictures of you and what she wrote… I believed all that.”

      “Yeah right. None of that happened…” There was the faintest bit of something like hesitation in his voice. “You’re making it up.”

      “Here…” Seven knelt down and pulled the book out of his bag and retrieved the floppy disc from between its pages. He held it out between them, urging Saeran to take it. “Look at what’s in this floppy disc.”

      “No way that exists! I don’t believe it! Whatever that’s in there, you’ve just made it up!” Saeran’s voice had gone higher pitched again as he shirked away from the floppy disc. “You’re trying to hurt me again! You’re a hacker! I know that you’re good at forging believable fake information!”

      “Seven, just show it to him.” Morrigan pointed towards the disc drive. She had a feeling he would never willingly open the contents. “If you don’t do it, I will.”

      “Don’t touch my computer!” Saeran did not make it in time to prevent Seven from slipping the floppy into the computer. Morrigan reached for the mouse and opened it, filling the monitors with the pictures Seven had shown her before. Pictures of the smiling Saeran Rika had given Seven.

      “Saeran.” Seven stood with the light of the photos casting his face deeper into shadow. “Please just believe me.”

      “This photo…!” His brother stared at the monitors, his eyes darting rapidly between each photo. Seven should not have had access to any of them. “How?”

      “Do you remember when this photo was taken?”

      “No way…” Saeran was in shock. He did remember, which was why Seven should not have the pictures. The one that bothered him the most was one the Savior had taken of him after she first rescued him. “Why is that photo with you…!”

      “Here’s a letter Rika wrote to me… Look.”

      “This is a lie…” He backed away from the screens as his entire world shook. The pictures had to be lies. The letter had to be a lie. If the were not, then that would mean Saeran was lied to - not by his brother, but by his Savior. “I don’t believe it. No… no…”

      “What in the world happened to you!?” Seven’s voice voice was heavy with emotion as he stepped towards his brother. “Saeran, what did they do?”

      “…I don’t want to listen to you. You just stole that photo… and put it in that disc.” The words felt like lies on his tongue and made him sick. “And that letter… I’m sure you wrote it.”

      “No.” Seven made himself calm down, pressing at the crack in his brother’s belief in whoever had filled him with lies. “Rika gave this to me herself.”

      “Shut up!! It’s all just a lie!” Tears fell from Saeran’s eyes as he screamed at his brother. “You just made it up!”

      “Saeran…” Morrigan’s heart broke for the man. “Calm down, please.”

      “Don’t come near me!” He moved backwards, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. They were wide and desperate, like that of a cornered animal. “If you come near me or tell me any more lies… I’m going to kill you.”

      “Saeran.” Seven held his hand out for him, but did not move any closer in fear that he would spook him further.

      “Don’t say that name!” Despite the caution Seven and Morrigan showed, he could not stand the emotion in his own voice, let alone in his brother’s voice. His head was pounding and all he could do was run.

      The door slammed behind him and Seven’s fist hit it a second later. He screamed as he slammed his fist against the door a second time.

      “Saeran…” Morrigan tried the door only to find the handle stuck fast. “The door’s locked. We can’t go after him like this.”

      “What?” Seven turned to her with wide eyes. “No, damnit.”

      “Find the code again.” Swallowing back her own emotions she pointed firmly towards the laptop. “The data transfer should be done. Unplug and get the door open.”

      “It’ll open once we find the code. I’ll do it fast!” Seven raced to the computer and started yanking cords, throwing them to Morrigan who shoved them back into his bag. As soon as the computer was free he got to work on the door. “We’ll have to open it… I can’t let Saeran go, Morri.”

      “I know.” She put her hand on his shoulder, trying to give the shaking man comfort and strength though she had little of her own. “We’re not gonna let him go…”

      “I won’t leave him like I did seven years ago!” Seven’s fingers moved faster against the laptop’s keyboard. “Never… I’ll never let him go!”


	35. Day 10 - Trapped and Captured

**Jumin** : Morrigan. I’m glad you’re here.  
 **Jumin** : I tried calling V…  
 **Morrigan** : Did he take it?  
 **Jumin** : I got a signal but he didn’t pick up.  
 **Jumin** : He picked up once, but all I heard was cars for a while and the call ended.  
 **Morrigan** : Cars?  
 **Jumin** : Yes.  
 **Jumin** : I think he was going somewhere.  
 **Jumin** : Anyways, how are things going?  
 **Morrigan** : Jumin… Seven and I are locked in right now. Jumin: What?  
 **Jumin** : Locked in there?  
 **707 has entered the chat.**  
 **707** : Junhib1  
 **Jumin** : Luciel, are you okay?  
 **707** : Yup.

 

      But he was not.

      Seven’s nerves were shot and every sound he heard or imagined made his eyes dart to the door. He wished Saeran would appear and that they could leave with him.

      It was hard to focus on hacking the door with his mind and emotions running rampant. If it was not for Morrigan’s comfort and encouragement he might have lost what little control and focus he had. She believed in him and walked back into hell with him, for him, and he was not about to let her down.

 

 **707** : I’m safe.  
 **707** : Jin, the hacking program is still running.  
 **Morrigan** : How much longer? And please explain the situation to Jumin.  
 **707** : Any moment now.  
 **Jumin** : I’m nervous.  
 **Jumin** : why are you two locked in?  
 **707** : We met Saeran while I was transferring the data.  
 **707** : I tried to solve the misunderstanding, but it didn’t work and he ran off.  
 **707** : The door automatically locks from the outside so it doesn’t open from the inside.  
 **Jumin** : That’s why you’re hacking the door.  
 **707** : Yes…  
 **707** : We’ll get out of here safe, right?  
 **Morrigan** : We will! Don’t lose faith.   
**Jumin** : Yes.   
**Jumin** : You’d know better, but getting nervous is poison for situations like that.  
 **707** : Yes, you’re right… no panicking.  
 **Jumin** : And if you let me know what Saeran’s wearing, I can send people over and have them find him.  
 **Jumin** : Or at least help you get out safe.  
 **707** : Thank you, but I don’t want to make a fuss out of this already.  
 **Morrigan** : Won’t someone else come attack us?  
 **707** : I’m looking at the security cameras and I don’t think anyone else knows that we’re here.  
 **Morrigan** : It looks like Saeran hasn’t alerted Mint Eye to our intrusion.   
**Morrigan** : That’s good!

 

      “It’s a good sign,” Morrigan gently ran her fingers through his hair as she leaned over him to check on the laptop. Security cameras filled most of the screen, showing the winding hallways near their location. A small section of the screen had the running text of the hacking program he had up in place. “He hasn’t set off any alarms.”

      “Maybe.” Seven offered her a thankful half-smile. Her presence alone kept the hope inside his heart going. They could get out and maybe, just maybe, he could finally keep his promise to Saeran. “Just… keep an eye out. You notice anything off…”

      “I’ll tell you.” She promised and settled down on the floor beside him. She leaned against him as they both resumed their talk with Jumin.

 

 **Jumin** : Then… you’ll have to do your best to get out for now.  
 **707** : Yes…   
**707** : Both of you… thank you for putting me back to my sense.  
 **707** : I can’t even imagine how I would have gotten through his if I were alone.  
 **Morrigan** : You can do it, Seven!  
 **707** : Okay. I’ll focus!

 

      A light beep came off from Seven’s laptop, drawing the couple’s gaze. The video feeds from each of the security cameras showed there was no one in the hallway. The chances of someone coming into view and triggering the laptop to chirp was decent, but the chances of them slipping back out of sight before either of them looked were low.

      The one corner of the screen not dedicated to the security camera had changed. Where movement had been previously, it was no longer there. The hacking program had stopped.

  
 **707** : Oh… the program’s stopped.  
 **707** : I’ll come back later, Jumin.  
 **Jumin** : Okay, good luck.  
 **707 has left the chat.**  
 **Jumin** : I hope he does his best and both of you come back safely.  
 **Morrigan** : He’s doing his best.  
 **Morrigan** : Everything will be fine, Jumin. I’ll get going too.

#

      On any other day the cool breeze and smell of the mountains outside the mansion would have brought him comfort and soothed his nerves. Now the sky offered no respite and the sight of the pristine white walls only reminded him of the lies inside.

      “No, no…!” Saeran tore his eyes away and tangled his fingers in his hair, the pain of it distant and muted. “It-it can’t be. It’s all lies Luciel made up. All lies… lies…”

      Seven’s words slammed around on the inside of his skull. Words of lies that painted the redhead in a light too bright for Saeran to face. His brother had sounded so sincere when he insisted he had been tricked.

      And the Angel, his Angel, had backed Seven up instead of taking Saeran’s side. Had she betrayed him? The thought made his heart twist with agony. It had to have been brainwashing. That was the only way she would turn against him, against Mint Eye, and against their Savior.

      Right?

      Somehow he knew that was not the case. Assaulted by memories he should have no way of having, he remembered trials and tests. Tests that broke other people, leaving them drooling but blissful fools. She had resisted brainwashing before according to those memories.

      “He hacked to steal that photo. Yes! The letter is fake.” He told himself, unwilling to face the possibility that the people who saved him from the hell that was his mother’s house had lied to him. “I won’t believe him. I won’t believe Saeyoung…”

      Yet his Angel did. If Morrigan believed him, then maybe…

      “Saeyoung abandoned me.” Saeran reminded himself as the doubts rose up again. “He left me… He left…”

      “Oh, you ran away but now you’ve come on your own?” The voice that spoke did not reach Saeran. The owner was tall, dressed conservatively in a black suit with a coat draped over their shoulders. Long brown hair and brown eyes that would have been warm if the person were smiling.

      “He left me, he left, he abandoned me… Saeyoung abandoned me.” Saeran’s hands left his hair, running over his face. His face was wet. Was he crying? “That’s what the Savior told me…”

      “What are you muttering?” The person edged closer with a frown on their attractive face.

      “He abandoned me… he left…”

      “You’re muttering… and you’re wearing fancy clothes… are you insane?” Their frown deepened as they took in the strange sight before them. Long, slender fingers grabbed Saeran’s shoulders and roughly shook him. “Hey! Wake up!”

      “Huh!?” Blinking away the tears, Saeran finally noticed he was not alone in the front yard of the mansion.

      “You thought I wouldn’t see you?” The stranger scoffed as they manhandled him away from the mansion. “I’ve been doing this for years. You’re wrong if you think changing your appearance would fool me.”

      “…You’re Luciel’s assistant.” Vanderwood. That was their name. He had managed to pull the name and a photo out during one of the times he hacked for information on Luciel. “Why are you here?”

      “What? Your acting’s improved.” Vanderwood paused and gave him a curious look that held a hint of surprise and what might have been concern. “Or did your client get to you or something? You look out of your mind.”

      “What?”

      “Shh. Regardless of what’s happened to you, I have to take care of my work.” They reached their hand into their pocket and pressed something hard and cold into Saeran’s ribs. Their other hand went to Saeran’s back, gripping the fabric of his coat tightly. “This thing I’ve put right up close to your side. It’s not a toy, it’s a real gun.”

      “But I’m-”

      “I’m sorry that this day’s come. I should’ve been more uptight with you. I gave you too much freedom.” Vanderwood sighed as they pushed the gun into Saeran’s side, forcing him to walk. “It’s technically my fault… but in this world, what matters is who survives.”

      “What are you talking about?” It was a case of mistake identity, Saeran realised. For some reason Seven’s assistant had come after him. Some kind of betrayal? “I’m not 707!”

      “I almost feel pity seeing you be so ridiculous…” It was clear Vanderwood did not believe him. They led him towards a brightly coloured sports car and nudged him hard in the ribs with the gun. “Hey, get in.”

      “Let me go! What is this!” Saeran tugged away from Vanderwood’s hold, trying to pull his coat free. The assistant was stronger than their slender build proclaimed and their grip did not loosen. “Let me go!”

      “What kind of idiot would let go the person they came to find?” Vanderwood tightened their grip and pushed him back toward the car. “Hurry and get in here…! I can’t take you out here.”

      “Let-let me go!”

      “God, so annoying. You’re probably the only person who won’t give in even with a gun in your face.” Vanderwood groaned in irritation. A sharp elbow it his ribs and he wondered if the hacker had always had such sharp elbows. Ignoring the pain in their side, they fought to shove the possibly insane hacker inside the car and slam the door shut.

      Luckily for him the struggling hacker had hit his head and now lay still in the backseat. Vanderwood could only hope he stayed down until they could get rid of him. They slid their gun back into the holster hidden underneath their coat and stretched before getting into the driver’s seat of the car. They would have to call the boss on their way back.

      The agent failed to notice the lanky man that had come out of the trees in time to witness Saeran being forced into the car.

#

 **Zen** : Morrigan!  
Zen: I’m so glad you’re back!  
 **Morrigan** : Yes, we had a moment to spare.  
 **Zen** : Good!  
 **Zen** : You got out?  
 **Yoosung has entered the chat.**  
 **Yoosung** : Gahh… Morrigan!!!  
 **Yoosung** : Are you okay?  
 **Morrigan** : We’re safe. We are still locked in…  
 **Maria** : The door’s still locked?!  
 **Zen** : What?  
 **Yoosung** : I’m so glad you’re safe though!! TOT  
 **Zen** : But why can’t you get out?  
 **Zen** : I thought he could hack into anything.  
 **Yoosung** : I think he’s just nervous T_T  
 **Yoosung** : He saw his brother too…  
 **Zen** : But why is the door locked!?  
 **Yoosung** : That Saeran person…  
 **Yoosung** : I guess there was a big problem with Seven T_T  
 **Maria** : Certainly sounds like it…  
 **Zen** : Yeah; I’m sure it’s a complicated story.  
 **Yoosung** : Morrigan, how’s Seven doing?

 

“They’re asking about you.” Morrigan lifted her head from Seven’s shoulder. Noticing the movement he gave her a smile which she returned. “What should I say?”

      “That I’m a bit busy.” He pecked her nose, enjoying the sound of her giggle. Such a small thing, but the impact it had on his mood was big. “I’ll wrap this bit of coding up in a second and jump on.”

      “Okay.” She gave him a peck in return. “No rush though.”

  
 **Morrigan** : Busy, but he’ll be here soon.  
 **Zen** : I wish he’d come right now…  
 **Yoosung** : Yeah T_T I want to know if he’s okay.  
 **707 has entered the chat.**  
 **707** : Zen, Yoosung, Maria.  
 **Zen** : OH!  
 **Yoosung** : Seven, I’m glad that Morri came here first, but I was worried.  
 **Maria** : How’s the situation with the door?  
 **Zen** : How’s everything going?  
 **707** : It’s being delayed a bit, but the door will open soon.  
 **Yoosung** : Thank god.  
 **Zen** : You’re with Morri, right?  
 **707** : Of course. She’s right beside me.

 

      He draped an arm around her side, wiggling his fingers against her waist and making her squirm. Having her so close was such a comfort, even if he hated the danger they were in. If he had been alone… Well, he did not want to think about that at all.

  
 **707** : And she’s not hurt.  
 **Zen** : Thank god.  
 **Maria** : Good. I know you’re doing your best to take care of her.  
 **Yoosung** : ^_^  
 **Yoosung** : So you’re going to go look for your brother?!  
 **Morrigan** : Yes!  
 **Morrigan** : We’re not leaving him here.  
 **707** : But… the security cameras aren’t showing any traces of Saeran…  
 **707** : I think we should leave the building first…  
 **707** : You don’t know when danger will come at you.  
 **Zen** : Yeah, just get out of there!  
 **Maria** : That’s probably best…  
 **Yoosung** : Seven… so you’re coming back home now?  
 **Morrigan** : We can’t leave until we find Saeran and the truth.  
 **707** : I’m grateful that Morri’s thinking the same thing.  
 **707** : I know being here again has to be hard on her…

 

      “They don’t know about my ties to Mint Eye.” Her voice came out small and he gave her an apologetic smile. She had trusted him with the truth, but had made no effort to tell the rest of the RFA. Maybe she would in time, once everything was settled, but he could understand why she would not.

      Trust was already hard to come by after finding the Mint Eye materials in Rika’s apartment.

      “I won’t tell them.” He told her gently. “If they ask, I’ll just claim it was a typo.”

      “No, don’t lie to them.” Morrigan reached over to give his hand a gentle squeeze. “If they ask, I’ll tell them… But hopefully they’ll miss it. I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

  
 **707** : I wanted to tell everyone directly, but I’ll just say it here…  
 **707** : First I plan to get out of here and go to the safest location possible and analyse the data I’ve retrieved.  
 **Zen** : So you can’t come back for now.  
 **707** : No…  
 **707** : I just came here to let everyone know that we’re safe.  
 **707** : I have to leave again.  
 **707** : I don’t think Saeran’s told anyone that we’re here  
 **Maria** : That’s good.  
 **Morrigan** : I don’t think he will tell anyone.  
 **707** : But you don’t know when they’ll catch us.  
 **Zen** : Yeah!  
 **Maria** : Just let us know when you’ve gone to somewhere safe.  
 **707** : Ok. Thanks.  
 **Morrigan** : We’ll be in touch again!   
**Yoosung** : I hope next time we hear from you, you guys are some place safe. T_T  
 **Zen** : Don’t worry about us and just do what you have to do!  
 **Maria** : Stay safe, guys.   
**707** : Okay… I’ll get going

 

      He left the chat first and Morrigan chatted for a bit longer. She assured the group that they would be fine and asked if her sister had found a dress. After a bit of teasing she excused herself and slipped her phone back into the pocket of her hoodie.

      “They’re staying positive for the most part.” Morrigan informed him as she wrapped both arms around him. Seven shifted to hold her in return. “And they’re right to. Everything will be fine.”

      “You have such faith in that…” Seven looked down at the woman in his arms in wonder.

      “I have faith in you.” She told him. “And I have faith in us. We’ll get through anything in our path.”


	36. Glitch - Iron Bars and Trust

      It was cold where Saeran was. Cold, wet, and it smelled heavily of foul earth. The teenager’s bones ached as he pushed himself upright. The rough stone floor sucked out what little warmth he had left in his fingers.

      “God… Saeyoung?” He called for his brother as he wiped the grit out of his golden eyes with the back of a fist. He was not tied up or shackled, which might be a good sign. Maybe his mother was in a decent mood? “Saeyoung?”

      “Finally you’re awake.” A shadow spread over the floor and Saeran scrambled back and pressed his back against the wall behind him. The figure, masculine and lean in silhouette, stood in front of the lit brazier offering flickering light to the dank room.

      Instead of one of the familiar rooms of his mother’s house he was trapped in cell devoid of any of the few comforts his mother had given him. No blanket, not even the threadbare one he had at home. The metal bars and door lining one stretch of the room was certainly not something he had ever seen in his mother’s house.

      The prison did not even have a window, which was what disturbed him the most.

      “Who are you?” Saeran spoke to the man on the other side of the bars. He had never seen her before. “This isn’t my home… I was on my way to get something for mommy and everything went dark…”

      “You’re a luck guy!” The stranger sounded cheerful but Saeran shivered. He was anything but lucky. His entire life consisted of pain and a growling stomach. His weak body a constant reminder of his pathetic existence. “Thanks to the Savior, you will be saved. Welcome and congratulations!”

      “What? Savior?” The man was speaking gibberish and only adding to Saeran’s confusion and distress. “I don’t know what you mean. Did my father send you?”

      “Everyone is family at Mint Eye. Everyone is your father and mother. It is paradise, my sweet child.”

      “I have to go home.” Saeran shook his head as fear took hold. His eyes filled with tears. It sounded like they were going to keep him here, wherever here was. “Mommy will get so mad!”

      “You do not have to worry about her here.”

      “What do I do… I’m not used to going out. Mom said she’d hit me if I’m late.” He rushed towards the bars and grabbed the door. He tried to pull it open and it would not budge. “Please send me back home!”

      “You are home.” The stranger fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Rather that letting Saeran out, he step inside. “This is your home now.”

      “But… Saeyoung might come back today…”

      “We’ll have to start.” The man pulled a bottle out of his pocket and grabbed Saeran’s chin. The teenager struggled and tried to question what was going on. As soon as his mouth was open the stranger poured some thick, disgusting liquid down his throat.

      Saeran gagged, but was not allowed to spit out the vile fluid. The man covered his mouth and pinched his nose shut until he swallowed it the mouthful.

“That was medicine to save you.” The man explained with a wide smile as he repeated the process. “Now you will listen to everything I say.”

      “Ugh…” The medicine left a bitter taste in his mouth. It felt like slime coated his mouth and turned to stone in his stomach. “What’s going on.”

      “You, sweet child, are invited to the party of paradise.” The man patted him gently on the shoulder before exiting the cell. “The Savior as extended her invitation directly to you.”

      The metal door slammed shut with force that echoed through the dungeon and Saeran’s skull. He watched the man leave him behind and listened to the footsteps until the only sound to keep him company was that of his racing heartbeat.?

      “Hello? Is anyone there?” Saeran was used to being alone. The only person he had in is life was his brother and his mother. It was always a relief when his mother was not around, even if it meant his mouth would go dry and his stomach would twist in hunger. It was better than the beatings or the ropes she tied him up with so he could not escape.

      And Saeyoung. Saeyoung was the one who she sent on errands originally. Anytime she needed something she sent the healthier twin, threatening them both if he did not return with what she wanted. Saeran had grown used to waiting for his twin’s return - waiting for the only comfort and love he knew.

      But Saeyoung had disappeared. Without a word, the older twin had not returned home. Their mother raged and drank, alternating between beating him and drinking herself into a stupor. Still, there was no sign of Saeyoung.

      Their father, a constant threat they had never met that loomed over their heads, might have gotten a hold of Saeyoung. Saeran hoped that was not the case.

      Did their father had something to do with the situation Saeran had found himself in? Was Saeyoung alone in scared in a cell like this one?

      “Ahh, you’re still awake!” The voice that greeted him was a woman’s. She sounded so sweet, so excited to see him. “Saeran, I wanted to come down and welcome you myself. I know you must be scared, but don’t be. You’re safe here.”

      “Who are you?”

      “I am the Savior.” She smiled at him. She was so beautiful with long, shining hair and the kindest smile. The Savior approached the bars and reached her hand through them towards him. “I was the one who invited you here.”

      “Let me go home.” Saeran edged away from her, pressing his back against the wall so she could not reach him. “Mommy will be angry if I don’t get home soon.”

      “Forget her. She’ll never hurt you again.” The promise was too much for him. “You are part of Mint Eye now, or you will be soon. She can not find you here.”

      “B-but…”

      “I know you have suffered.” The Savior pulled her hand back but seemed to not take offence at his refusal to let her touch him. “My poor child. Abused and used by your mother, hunted by your father, and then abandoned by your twin brother.”

      “He didn’t abandon me!” Saeran stiffened at the words. His stomach turned and he felt the cold melt away. His body was growing hot at a rapid pace. “He didn’t… He’ll be back. He’s probably on his way home now… You have to let me go home. He’ll be so worried if I’m gone when he comes home.”

      “Saeyoung’s not coming home.” The woman’s lips turned down into a frown. “He abandoned you, but don’t worry. Your new family, Mint Eye, will never abandon you.”

      “No… you’re wrong.” Saeran squeezed his eyes shut as a ripple of pain ripped through his body. He cried out and he heard her offer a small sympathetic noise. “W-what’s happening to me?”

      “The only pain you’ll suffer here.” The Savior purred gently. She tilted her head as she studied him, noting the cold sweat breaking out over his body and the tears streaming down his cheeks. “It hurts, I know, but that’s the results of the world outside.”

      “W-what are you talking about?”

      “You’re being cleansed, Saeran. Inducted fully in our family.” She released the bars and stepped back. “The medicine my disciple gave you will begin breaking away the dirt and grime the world have left on your soul.”

      He might have tried saying something else, but the words were broken in a scream. Fire spread through his veins, whiting out his vision and burning away his thoughts until he knew nothing but the sound of her voice.

      She sympathised. She worried about him. She promised him the pain would end. She promised him happiness. She promised him that the new family would never leave him to suffer like Saeyoung did.

      He never noticed when she left and her voice was replaced with a recording. The heat of the pain was agony. He dashed into the bars when he had the energy, screaming and pleading for the pain to stop.

      “The world is such a painful place. Pain caused by humanity. Pain caused by foolish desires.” The Savior’s voice said, each word drumming in tune with the agonised beating of his heart.

      It slowed when his heart slowed. It sped up when his heart quickened. It whispered to him when he was quiet. It screamed when he screamed.

      He could not be sure it was responding to him or if he was responding to it.

      “There is love here. We are happy and free here.” The sweetness of the voice made the pain lessen. “I can free you. Mint Eye will free you. We will cleanse you and welcome you into our happy, loving family.”

      Robed figures came to him when his tears had stopped and his throat was hoarse from crying. Their touch made the pain spike but he had no strength to get away from them. They fed him medicine and pills that slowly doused the pain. They wiped him down with cool cloths and whispered praise and encouragement into his ears.

      He slept like the dead. Cold and unfeeling.

      Saeran woke in the same room. A brazier had gone out and the other’s flame was shuddering and losing its strength. He was sitting upright, strapped to a wooden chair, but the Savior’s voice promised him happiness. She promised an everlasting party as her disciples strapped him down.

      “We won’t leave you.” One of them promised him as she slid a needle through his eye.

      “We’re family here.” Another agreed as he slid a needle through his eye.

      “There is pain outside.” The Saviour’s voice mourned. “Let Mint Eye cleanse you. Let our love bring you to paradise.”

      Saeran welcomed the pain that bled through his body. Spikes of agony were followed by waves of pleasure that left him gasping and numb. Again and again, the sensations cycled through him as the voice repeated its message. It kept going even as his vision grew blurry and his eyes felt like they were melting.

      Everything came in senseless flashes. Needles jabbing into his arm. Blood and ink running down his side. Pain and pleasure twisting into one. The mark of his new family. A promise permanently marked into his skin.

      Agony when he said his brother’s name or mentioned his old home. Pleasure when he called for the Savior or welcomed his new family.

      And always, always, that recording promising him pain outside of Mint Eye’s loving family and joy for those within.

      One day the hands that touched him belonged to the Saviour. Kneeling by his side, she ran her fingers through his filthy, sweatsoaked hair and cooed her joy.

      “You’ve done so well.” She told him. “I’m so very proud of you. You’ve been cleansed and have proven yourself to be worthy of entrance to our everlasting party, our family.”

      “S-Saviour.” Disgusted with himself, he wished he could move away from her touch. She was too good, too pure to dirty herself with someone like him.

      “I knew you’d survive, Saeran.” She hummed softly to herself as she continued to stroke her hair. “Would you like to leave here and meet your family now? Would you like to begin serving Mint Eye?”

      “Y-yes…” Saeeran grasped at the idea of being useful to her and Mint Eye. They had saved him, after all, and he would do anything to see his Savior smile.

      “What a good, sweet child you are.” She patted his cheek and stood, offering her hand. He did not hesitate to take it. “Come out. Let’s get you cleaned up. There is so much for you to learn so you can be of real use. I trust you’ll study hard.”

      “O-of course.” He stumbled as she led him out of the cell.

      “Do you trust me, Saeran?” She paused at the foot of stone stairs that lead upwards. “With everything that you are?”

      “Of course.” Saeran nodded eagerly. “You’re the Savior, after all. You invited me to Paradise. My life is yours.”

      Not once did he doubt her after his cleansing. He had worked his fingers to the bone learning to hack. He had brought new sisters and brothers into the fold. He had done everything she had asked without question.

      Five years after his invitation to Paradise a fissure ran through the portrait of the Savior within his mind. A fissure marring her beauty and making her echoing voice shrill. The crack was small, but the monster visible on the other side was near impossible to ignore.


	37. Day 10 - Revelation and Confrontation

**Jaehee** : Morrigan!  
 **Jaehee** : I came here as soon as the meeting ended.  
 **Jumin** : I’m glad you’re here. Do you have any news?  
 **Morrigan** : We’re currently leaving the building through blind spots.  
 **Morrigan** : So I can’t be on for long.  
 **Jaehee** : I’m so glad that you’re not hurt.  
 **Jaehee** : We feel very anxious just watching.  
 **Jumin** : I see.  
 **Jaehee** : Mr Han, can we really proceed with the party when two of our members are in such danger?

 

      When Maria’s phone beeped with the start of a new chat, she did not immediately check it. She was stretched out comfortably on Zen’s bed, propped up with his pillows behind her back, and reading through one of the old scripts he had hanging around. Her phone was on the charge on the other side of the room.

      “Zen!” She called for the man and a moment later he poked his head into the room. “Can I be really lazy and lame and ask you to bring me my phone?”

      “Your phone…” Maria pointed to his dresser and he followed the motion. A smile spread across his face and he chuckled as he entered the room. “Really, Maria?”

      “I’m really comfy right now.” She pouted as she set aside the script and made grabby hands at the phone. “Pretty please with sugar on top?”

      “You’re too cute.” He unplugged the mobile phone and dropped down on the bed beside her. He held it up. “Where’s my sugar?”

      “In the kitchen. Top shelf above the coffeepot.” Maria plucked the phone from his fingers and gave him a peck on the cheek, much to his delight. “Thanks, Zenny.”

      “You’re welcome, princess.” He beamed and settled into the pillows, pulling her into his arms so he could peek over her shoulder at the chat.

  
 **Maria has entered the chat.**  
 **Jumin** : Hello Maria.  
 **Jaehee** : Maria, hello.   
**Jumin** : Luciel said that they will go to a safe location, so we’ll have to trust him.  
 **Jaehee** : I don’t think we can let our guards down just by faith.  
 **Maria** : Hey guys.  
 **Maria** : Morrigan, are you okay?  
 **Jumin** : We’ve done all we could already.  
 **Jumin** : I understand that it’s difficult to focus on the party…  
 **Jaehee** : I know that we can’t stop it.  
 **Jumin** : Yes.  
 **Morrigan** : I’m fine, Mar-mar.  
 **Morrigan** : Did you guys hear from V yet?  
 **Jumin** : No.   
**Jaehee** : You don’t think he’s avoiding us, do you?  
 **Jumin** : It’s possible.  
 **Morrigan** : I should go back to Seven now. Cheer up all of you!  
 **Maria** : Stay safe sis.  
 **Morrigan** : We will.  
 **Jaehee** : Okay. I pray that you both get out safe.  
 **Jumin** : Don’t worry about us and be careful.  
 **Jaehee** : I’ll go and confirm for the last time that the party is well prepared.   
**Maria** : Zen and I will handle the guests. So don’t worry about that.  
 **Jumin** : Yes, I’ll let you know if I hear anything.  
 **Jaehee** : Thank you.

 

      The chat emptied out and Maria closed out the app and chucked her phone to the end of the bed. She settled more comfortably against Zen and sighed. While it was good to receive word about Morrigan and Seven, she was not pleased to hear they were still inside Mint Eye headquarters. She doubted she would breath comfortably until she got word that the couple had made it somewhere safe.

      “They’ll be fine.” Zen tugged her closer and she buried her face into the crook of his neck. His hand left her side to run through her hair.

      “I know. I just hate her being there…” Maria closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, letting it and the soothing caress ease her tension. “I’m afraid that something will happen… Someone will see them or Saeran will trigger an alarm.”

      “They’ll get out.” He insisted. “I know you can’t help but imagine the worst, but try to keep your mind off it., Seven will do whatever it takes to make sure she gets home safe.”

      “I know, but you don’t know what they’re capable of.” She hardly knew what they were capable of herself. She had only seen the effects of it. The empty look in the eye of the Savior. Her sister, strung out and in pain from drugs they filled her with. When did that happen? She could not remember, but she knew it had happen. “Zen… I have something to tell you.”

      “What’s that?” Zen loosened his hold on her as she squirmed to pull back and look him in the eye. “Maria, what is it?”

      “We, uh… We’ve been keeping something from the RFA.” Maria swallowed and turned away. “Seven already knows, but… We’ve been there before.”

      “What?”

      “Mint Eye headquarters…” She felt him stiffen and was too afraid to see what his expression might be. “We don’t know how we got there, but we woke up there and they called us Angels.”

      “So you’ve known about them all along?” Zen pulled away from her and she felt the loss of his warmth like a blade in her heart.

      “Yes… We didn’t know what they were planning, exactly.” She dug her nails into her hands and forced herself to look up. “We never wanted to lie to any of you. We just knew they were planning on doing something with the RFA. If we hadn’t convinced them to let us go, they would’ve sent some innocent girl.”

      “Why didn’t you say anything?” Zen was frowning, but there was no hatred in his expression. Confusion and some hurt, but no hate.

      “We were afraid to.” Maria admitted. “We didn’t know if they were keeping an eye on us. If we had revealed our knowledge, they might have realised we weren’t the Angels they thought we were. And if the RFA had turned us away… Well, we didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

      “So… Seven and I are the only ones who know this.”

      “Yes. She told him before I left Yoosung’s place.” Maria wanted to reach for him. She wanted the comfort of his touch again but she was afraid he would reject her. “We want to tell everyone but… Right now I don’t know how everyone would take it.”

      “So why me?” The red-eyed man swallowed as his mind raced in an attempt to sort through his feelings. It was not hard for him to understand why Morrigan had told Seven. After everything that pair had gone through and what they were going through now, it was only right she told him. “Why are you telling me this now… and why didn’t you tell Yoosung?”

      “I needed to tell you…” Maria ran her fingers through her hair, hating the way they shook. She had no real answers to his questions. She just had to tell him. “I just… I just had to. I couldn’t keep this from you, not anymore.”

      “Okay.” Recognising that was the best answer she could give him, Zen nodded and accepted the attempt. After a long moment of silence he lifted his hand and reached for hers. He pulled gently and she fell into his arms. “I know this must’ve been really hard for you.”

      “Y-you don’t hate me?” Tears filled Maria’s eyes as she looked up at him in surprise. His expression softened at the sight she made. “I hid so much from you… and the RFA. It’s okay if you hate me now.”

      “I never could hate you.” Zen cupped her face in his hands. “I understand you better now, Maria, and I don’t think any less of you.”

      “Y-you don’t?”

      “No.” His forehead came to rest gently against his, his warm breath fanning across her face and smelling like the tea he had drunk earlier that evening. “If anything, I’m even more in love with you now than I was before if that’s possible.”

      “Dude.” Maria wanted to scold him for making light of the situation, but there was no humour in his eyes. There was such deep forth that hear the heart skipped a few beats and her face heated up. “Shut up.”

      “Make me.” Zen grinned.

      “Fine, I will.” She shut him up with a kiss.

#

      “Morri, this way!” Seven hissed as 'he checked the hallway. He darted forward and popped the door open. Morrigan ducked underneath his arm and he followed quickly. The door shut quietly behind them and they both breathed a sigh of relief. They were outside.

      The pair did not let their guard down. They moved through the blind zone of the security cameras on their way back to their car.

      “I think we missed Saeran…” Morrigan frowned as she glanced back at the building. They had avoided detection on their way out, but had not seen trace of Seven’s twin.

      “I want to believe we’ll catch him soon… Seeing that he hasn’t told anyone we’ve gone in… He’s either shocked at what I told him or changed his feelings about me.” Seven stopped near his car, noticing fresh indentations in the ground. “Huh? What is this? Tire marks…”

      “Someone must have driven off quickly.” Morrigan knelt down and touched the marks. They had not been there before. “It’s not Saeran’s car, is it?”

      “It might be… but we don’t have enough evidence to go after it.” He took a deep breath and pushed away the desire to follow the tracks. If it were Saeran, that might be their only clue towards where he went, but chasing his brother had to wait. He unlocked his car and opened the door. “First… We have to go somewhere safe, so get in the car.”

      “Right. Safety and analyse data first…” Morrigan took the bag from Seven and stashed it in the backseat of the car.

      “I wish we could find Saeran fast.” Seven said as he made his way around the car to the front seat.

      “So do I…” She sighed, her heart aching for the twin and everything he must have gone through and everything he was still going through. “We’ll find him. We just gotta stick to the plan for now.”

      “Luciel?”

      “V?” Morrigan’s eyes widened at the sight of the lanky, tall man. He leaned against a cane and peered at them through heavily tinted glasses. She had only seen a few pictures of the distant RFA leader, but there was no one else it could be.

      “Luciel, thank god… It’s you.” V walked towards them, his cane making soft noises against the dirt. “And Morrigan, right?”

      “Why are you here?” Seven narrowed his eyes at what was once his most trusted friend. The closest thing he ever had to a father figure.

      “Oh, that…” V hesitated and did not immediately answer him.

      “Don’t say anything weird and answer me. Why are you here?” Seven glanced towards the building and back to V, suspicion clearly written all over his face. “Oh, of course… you knew about this place, right? I’m not even surprised… you’re with them, aren’t you?”

      “I know that you won’t believe anything I say.” He leaned against his cane as he squinted through his glasses to focus on the blurry figure of his ex-friend. “So you won’t be able to accept it even if I tell you why I’m here.”

      “Morri, get in the car.” Seven tapped the hood of the car, not taking his eyes off of V. Although V was the only one out there with them, he did not feel comfortable with leaving her out in the open in case V or any of the Mint Eye cultists decided to come after him. “This might be dangerous.”

      “You don’t have to put your guards up against me.” The teal-haired man swallowed and looked between the pair. Even with his waning vision he could see the distrust in their expressions. “I will never hurt you.”

      “You want me to believe that?” Seven stepped closer to the driver’s door when V took a step towards him. He held up a hand and gave him a warning glare. “Don’t come near me. I won’t stay put if you come.”

      “Luciel…” V stopped, knowing all too well what the secret agent was capable of.

      “Who the hell are you? Reveal yourself. How the hell did you know what was in that drawer? Rika was the only one who could go into that apartment!” Seven spat at the ground in disgust. “You’re the worst kind of fraud to lie with such an innocent face.”

      “I’m sorry… I can’t tell you right now.” V sounded as if he truly were sorry, but the couple’s expressions did not soften. “I’m so sorry…”

      “You’re not going to say anything about Saeran? You’re not going to tell me what the hell you did to him?!” Seven’s anger was growing with every passing moment that he stood in V’s presence and no answers were given. “He didn’t even listen to me. He just said that I was lying… Why the hell was he even here? Did you brainwash my brother!?”

      “Luciel…”

      “Tell me whatever excuse you have…” The lack of answers were only letting Seven imagine the worse. The old version of the Mint Eye logo stood out in his mind, sharply emphasising V’s presence in front of this building. “You’re Mint Eye’s leader, not RFA’s? You’re just pretending that you were attacked by the person you love and turned blind so that no one can suspect you!?”

      “Seven…” Morrigan had no words to comfort him. Her knowledge of the inner workings of Mint Eye were extremely limited. She knew the Savior was a woman, not a man, but beyond that she had no idea who else might be in charge.

      She could not speak up to defend V because nothing she could say would erase the possibility that he had been a member of Mint Eye all along.

      “You explain, V.” The red-head challenged him with bitter anger in his voice. “Say something with that noble mouth of yours you promised so many things with!”

      “Luciel, let’s try to calm down…” V held up his free hand, his voice pleading.

      “Calm down…” Seven’s laugh was sharp. “In this situation?”

      “Calm down… Could you have said anything more stupid?” Morrigan shook her head. Telling someone to calm down never worked, especially when tension was this high.

      “I’m sorry.” V repeated again. “There’s nothing else I can say…”

      “Fat lot of good apologising does now…” Morrigan bit her lip to keep herself from sassing him further. Her mouth was not what the situation needed at that moment.

      “About Saeran…” He looked as if he wanted to say something but had trouble finding the words. “It’s just that I know how much you love him so I didn’t want you to know.”

      “Don’t give me that excuse…” The blind man winced at the ice in Seven’s voice. “I hate you.”

      “Luciel-”

      “I will never forgive you.” He cut him off and slammed his fist against the hood of his hard. “You’re the reason why Saeran’s like that and why I became a secret agent… That’s the truth.”

      “Yes…” V’s shoulders slumped beneath the weight of the betrayal and his fault in everything that had befallen the twins. He could not defend himself now even if he wanted to.

      “You’re the one who made me and Saeran part ways.”

      “Saeyoung…” The nearly blind man released a heavy sigh and straightened his shoulders a bit. He steeled up his nerves before speaking again. “Just listen to this one thing.”

      “Don’t say his name.” Morrigan hissed as she shot the man her most venomous look. After everything he had done to the twins, the last thing she wanted was to hear that name coming from his mouth.

      “I’m sorry.” He apologised again. “Y'ou won’t believe me now… but I think I should tell you one last thing. Please believe me… this is the truth.”

      Morrigan met Seven’s eyes over the roof of the car. The stress of the evening had settled itself squarely at the base of their skulls and every moment sent wasting time still on the property of their enemy only made it worse.

      Yet they let V speak.

      “I think I saw Saeran here earlier.”

      “What?”

      “I can’t see very well so I wasn’t sure but since you’re here…” V’s eyes closed behind the shadow of his sunglasses as he brought up the fuzzy image he had seen. He had only caught the tail-end. Enough to see someone who he had initially thought was Seven get manhandled into a car. “Saeran must have been the one dragged away.”

      “I won’t forgive you if you’re lying.” He could not forgive him for the lies before, but this would definitely take the cake.

      “I swear, but I couldn’t see it properly. I don’t know who took him, but they got in some car…” V opened his eyes and motioned towards where he had seen the car last. “It was a red one. Really noticeable… I think there was a silver lining.”

      “Silver lining?” Seven knew of one car matching that description. An expensive little import he had purchased almost a year before. He moved away from his car and to the tire tracks to examine them more closely. He had imported tires for that car too. The chances of someone having the same type of car was low, but paired with the tires it dropped to a 1.00004% chance. “No way, those tire marks… They looked like my car’s tires…!”

      “Seven!” The redhead jumped to face Morrigan. “Have you ever lent anyone your car?”

      “No… but I know one person who has access to them.” There was only one person who had access to his bunker home and the garage filled with his babe cars. Only one person who knew where he kept his keys stashed. “Vanderwood. I’m sure she’s the one who took my car.”

      “Vanderwood?” V chewed over the name and dragged through his memory. He had heard that name once before. “I don’t know. I couldn’t tell who it was.”

      “If you’re lying about seeing Saeran…” Seven left the tire tracks and crossed the yard to grip the taller man by the collar. His voice had dropped low in unspoken threat. “I’m really not going to let you go.”

      “I swear it’s the truth.” The teal haired man held his ground, meeting Seven’s golden eyes the best he could. After a long moment the secret agent released him.

      “Morri… I think she mistook Saeran as me.” Seven turned to her and her heart broke at the pain and horror in his eyes. “Vanderwood would never just let Saeran just go!”

      “Obviously Vanderwood wasn’t just your maid.” And to think that when she first heard of the woman she had been jealous that there was a woman so close to him. “How the hell does the agency operate?”

      “I ran off without completing my job…” He balled his hands into fists. He knew the agency would have come after him eventually, but for Vanderwood to track him to the Mint Eye headquarters and mistake his twin for him was something he never imagined. “I’m sure she received orders to find me and take me out.”

      “Saeyoung, I’d like to help…” V flinched at the glare he received from the couple. “But you probably won’t trust me.”

      “You know very well.” Seven snarled at him as his anger rose back to the surface. There was no way sharing this information was enough to make up for all the lies. “What are you going to help with now? I’ll never let you make me miss Saeran again.”

      “Saeyoung…” There was pain in the man’s voice.

      “Morri, get in. We’re leaving.” Seven went to the driver’s side car. Hearing the finality in her boyfriend’s voice, Morrigan nodded and slid into the passenger seat. Seven paused to turn back to V. “Oh, right. V.”

      “Yes?”

      “If Rika knew the real you… I now get why she messed up your eyes like that.” Seven’s smile was grim as he watched the way V flinched at his barbs. “If your eyes really do hurt, just become blind. I don’t want anyone to be fooled by those sincere looking eyes.”

      Seven got into the car and slammed the door shut. The chasm between him and his father figure lengthen and deepened as he started the car, put it in gear, and peeled out of the spot. He did not spare the man another glance.

      “Yes…” V spoke to the empty yard. A breeze threw his hair in front of his already crappy vision as she watched Seven’s car disappear beyond the trees. “This is all my fault for loving her.”

 


	38. Day 10 - Changes

      After a while the brooding silence within the car got to Morrigan. She let Seven think, but reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze to remind him that she was still by his side. He was not going through this mess alone.

      Eventually she propped her legs up on the dashboard of the car, pulled the lever to drop her seat back a bit, and got onto the RFA chat to see how everyone was doing.

      “V was on chat…” Seven’s hands tightened against the wheel at her words. “No one else was on, but… he had quite a bit to say.”

      “I bet.” The words came out between gritted teeth.

      “Yeah.” She frowned as she scrolled through the one-sided chat. “Listen to this, ‘I always thought that carrying the burden of secrets alone was protecting everyone.’ He thought he should be the only one to suffer from that.”

      “Right. Protecting us. I’m so sure of that.”

      “And he’s giving up leadership of the RFA.” She looked up from the phone to see Seven’s upset face. “He’s handing that off to Jumin.”

      “About time.” Seven kept his gaze on the road, trying to ignore the ache in his chest. “V hasn’t been the leader in a long time.”

      “I suppose he hasn’t…” Morrigan turned back to V’s messages. She wanted to hate the man after everything he had put Seven and Saeran through, but she could not. She was angry, yes, but she could not hate him. “’Rather than trying to figure out the reason… please just hate me for keeping all those secrets.’”

      “Is that what he said?” Seven scoffed. “Trying to play the victim!”

      “Word for word it’s what he said… But he’s urging us to hate him. He admits it’s his fault that everyone’s having a hard time…” Something about the way V spoke did not make her think of Mint Eye. This was not the way a villain was supposed to talk. This was not how a villain would say goodbye to the group they lied to and manipulated. “Seven…”

      “Don’t feel bad for him.” The redhead heaved a sigh and glanced over at her. “We’ll worry about that mess later, okay? The RFA is safe for now.”

      “Yeah, you’re right.” To take her mind off of V for the time being she left the RFA app and opened up one of her mobile games to play for a while.

#

      The messages left by V hit the RFA chat hard. Even Jaehee, who knew their absent leader the least, felt the sharp edge of disappointment. They were reeling with the lack of answers and the sudden handing over of the torch.

      Zen was taking it rather hard. Even in light of all of the revelations of Rika’s possible connection to Mint Eye and V’s lies to Seven regarding his brother, Zen had not lost all faith. He kept hoping that V would get on and clear his name. He hoped that, somehow, the man who had saved his life once before was still innocent.

      He threw on a coat, grabbed his keys, and promised that he would be back soon before disappearing out the door. A moment later she heard the revving engine of his motorcycle.

      Maria checked the RFA app while she waited, but it had gone quiet after the initial reaction to V’s goodbye. After a few minutes of quiet in the semi-basement home, she sighed and slid through her contacts list to dial Yoosung’s number.

      It was a bad time considering what had happened with V, but she needed to talk to him.

      “Hey Maria.” Yoosung sighed. “You doing alright?”

      “Yeah, I’m fine.” She was probably the least affected by V’s sudden departure. “Zen’s taking things pretty hard. How are you holding up?”

      “I just… I don’t even want to talk about it.”

      “I get that…” She bit the inside of her cheek and picked nervously at her nails. “I, uh, have something I want to tell you. I know now’s not the best time, but I can’t really let it sit.”

      “I can handle it.” He sounded concerned.

      “I, uh… Last time we talked…” Maria had no idea how to say what she wanted to say. The temptation to brush it off, say something else entirely, and avoid it was so strong. Instead she squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t need your response anymore.”

      “Maria…”

      “I care about you, I do.” She could not let him continue now that she had started. “And I always will… but I think it’d be best if you and I stayed friends, you know? I thought I liked you as more… But I was mistaken. I’m so sorry for everything.”

      It had happened between heartbeats without her even realising. She had fallen for Zen. For his kind consideration, for his constant support, and for the way he could so easily make her smile. The cloud of confusion over her feelings had lifted suddenly. Zen had held her and she was content. He had left the room and she missed his presence.

      As much as she cared about Yoosung, he had never had that effect on her. He was a great guy, but he had not taken hold of her heart and made a home there like Zen had.

      “I-it’s okay.” Yoosung voice was quiet and she strained to try to hear how he was feeling. “I think that’d be best too, especially with how much of a mess I am. I gotta get my life together before I can even think of getting a girlfriend.”

      “So… you’re okay with this?” Maria felt a bit of her tension easing. “I know I haven’t been fair to you…”

      “I’m good, I’m good.” He assured her. “You’ve tried to be fair. You gave me a chance though I didn’t really deserve one.”

      “Still. I feel bad about it.” She sighed and shifted the phone to her other ear. “We cool?”

      “Very cool.” He laughed. “So, you and Zen are gonna be a thing now?”

      “Yeah, I guess.” Heat filled her cheeks and she glanced towards the door, wondering how much longer he would be. “Yeah… I think so.”

      “Good.” Yoosung said. “He’ll be good to you. He ever hurts you though, Imma come after him.”

      “I’m sure you would.” Maria bit back a laugh at the idea of the short male going after Zen. It would be a rather one-sided fight. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that though.”

      “True, true.” He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “I wish you two the best of luck, you know. And I really am happy for you.”

      “Thanks.” Her attention was diverted once again to the door as she heard keys in the lock. “Ahh, he’s back from his storerun. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

      “Yup. I should get back to work here.” He sighed heavily. “I’ve got some homework that’ll be due right after the party. Should knock that out while I have the time.”

      “Good luck with that.” She chuckled. “Later.”

      “Yeah, later.”

      The connection closed and she tossed her phone aside as Zen came into the living room with a bag from a convenience store. He quirked an eyebrow at her and set down the bag before sinking into the sofa next to her.

      “I just got off the phone with Yoosung.” She told him without any preamble.

      “Ahh.” His reaction to the news was subtle, but she could see it. He stiffened just a little bit and there was a bit of strain to his smile. She had told him about the last phone call and he had an idea what the recent call might have been about. “How’d that go?”

      “It went well, all things considered.” She chewed on her lower lip. “The timing was bad, but he took it well.”

      “Took what well?” Zen shifted to face her better, sitting up a bit straighter.

      “Being friendzoned, basically.” Maria glanced towards him, a shy smile spreading across her face. “I, uh, told him that it’d be best if he and I stayed friends.”

      “And he took it well? That’s good to hear.” Zen swallowed and tried not to smile. Just because she had decided to stay friends with Yoosung did not mean she wanted to be with him. “You okay?”

      “Y-yeah. I’m good. It had to be done.” She turned her gaze away and picked at her fingernails. “I realised my feelings for him weren’t like the feelings I had for someone else so I had to cut him loose.”

      “Your feelings for someone else.” Zen scooted a bit closer. “And just who might that be.”

      “Jaehee, I’m utterly in love with Jaehee.” She rose her eyebrow at him. “Don’t play daft, Zen. You know I have feelings for you.”

      “Yeah, but…” He brushed the back his knuckle against her jawline. “What does that mean right now? For us?”

      “It means…” Maria swallowed against the raise of nervousness that turned her cheeks red. “It means… a lot, doesn’t it?”

      “Means a lot…” Zen hummed softly and brushed his thumb against her lower lip. “A lot of what?”

      “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” She pouted at him. “Come on, Zen. You know what I’m trying to say. You’re just being mean now.”

      “I am. I should make it up to you.” His hand slid along her jawline to cup the back of her head. Zen closed the distance between them and claimed her lips in a gentle, questioning kiss.

      A switch was triggered when she returned the kiss. He pulled her closer and she fell into his lap as he took control. Zen’s lips moved against hers, still as gentle as ever, but more forcefully than he had ever kissed her before. His hands moved slowly up and down her back, spreading warmth through her body, as he deepened the kiss.

      Despite herself, a low moan left her lips. Zen’s hold on her tightened and he growled in response. His tongue brushed against her mouth and, upon entry, dominated her completely to leave her a squirming mess in his lap. He broke the kiss and she sucked in air as his lips trailed to her neck.

      “Princess…” Zen’s voice was deeper than usual and his breath against her neck sent heat flooding through her body.

      “Y-yeah?” Embarrassed by the breathless sound of her own voice she snapped her mouth shut.

      “Do you want this?” He pulled away to look her in the eyes. His hands moved to her hips and guided them against him so she could feel his arousal rising to life. “I’ll stop, just say the word… But if you don’t… Then my beast is going to devour you.”

      “Z-Zen…” He rolled his hips against her and they both groaned at the delicious friction. She shuddered against him and gripped his shoulders for support.

      “Maria~!” Zen sang out her name softly and nipped her ear. His hands slid down her back to cup her rear. “Beautiful, gorgeous Maria. Do you know what you do to me?”

      “I have an idea…” She moved her hands over his shoulders and down his chest to push at his coat. It was in the way.

      He shrugged off the coat before claiming her lips once again. He stole the breath from her in a forceful kiss. Her hands slid beneath the shirt and over his abs, making him shiver. In retaliation his hands slipped beneath her top, trailing up her ribs to the underside of her bra.

      Finding a bit of courage, Maria freed herself from his embrace and stepped backwards. Zen’s eyes were dark as he watched her and his lips were beautifully swollen from their kisses. Her desire spiked and she crooked a finger for him before turning tail and running into the bedroom.

      Zen was quick to follow.

      She had already seated herself on his bed before he made it through the doorway and he nearly tripped over himself at the sight. Taking a deep breath and regaining a semblance of self control, Zen approached the bed and slowly crawled up onto it.

      “You minx…” He ran his hands up her legs, finding the button of her shorts and undoing it. He took his sweet time, eyes on her face, as he pulled her shorts and panties down her legs and tossed them aside.

      “Zen!” Realising what he had done, she snapped her thighs closed, face red in embarrassment and arousal.

      “Please call me Hyun…” He ran his hands gently up and down her legs to sooth her nerves. When she began to relax beneath his caress he slid his hands between her thighs. Her legs fell open and he dove in before she could grow bashful again. “I’m going to have you singing my name tonight as I claim you as mine, over and over again.”

      His tongue slid wet and hot over her slit. Her back arched and a low keening moan was dragged from her lips. Zen’s arms came up around her hips, pulling her in closer as he made good on his promise to devour her. He worked her with his tongue, lips, and gentle nips until she was a shuddering mass of pleasured nerves.

      “Delicious.” He purred as he gave her slit another languid swipe of his tongue, collecting juices from the orgasm. He pulled away and licked his lips before crawling up and kissing her. “Do you want more, my princess?”

      “God, yes.” Maria did not care how breathless or high-pitched her voice sounded. Her body was on fire and although he had already given her one orgasm but her body had turned greedy, needing more than just his tongue. “Please, Hyun.”

      “Ahh, you undo me…” Zen gave her a hungry kiss before pulling back. His long, slender fingers caught the hem of her shirt and peeled it up and over her head. His mouth descended onto her check to taste and explore the bared flesh. He nipped her breast through the comfortable cotton of her bra and she squirmed.

      “Dude, this isn’t fair.” She was panting as she ran her fingers through his hair, finding the tie and freeing it from his so she could run her fingers through the silken silver strands. “I’m nearly naked and you’re all dressed up still.”

      “How right you are…” Zen smirked as he sat up. It only took him a moment to yank the shirt over his head and toss it aside. He had to get off the bed to pull off his pants and in his eagerness to undress.

      Maria swallowed the lump in her throat at the sight of his masculine beauty being bared. Feeling the need to do something, she reached back to unhook her bra and dropped it over the edge of the bed. Now with nothing shielding her body from Zen’s eyes, she felt the fluttering of nervousness in her stomach, but that was drowned by the sheer need flaring hotter upon seeing him just as naked.

      Zen crawled back onto the bed, placing soft kisses as he worked his way up her body. His head lingered at her breasts to nuzzle and kiss the round mounds before he finally reached her lips. Sliding his lips against hers, he seared her with the heat of him as he drag his cock in slow, torturous motions over her.

      “Are you ready?” The question was voiced against her hips and punctuated with another roll of his hips. Always the gentleman, even when she could feel how achingly hard he was. “We can stop, if this is a bit too fast. We don’t need to do this.”

      If she let herself think about it, Maria would admit it was fast. They had not known each other very long and it was only a handful of days ago she was emotionally distraught over another guy. Yet it did not feel wrong to be pinned down by his weight, melting beneath his touch and intense eyes.

      No, this was right, even if it was fast.

      Maria wrapped her arms around Zen’s neck and pulled him down into a kiss. Her hips pressed against his and she drank in his needy moan. Their tongues met and fought for dominance, which she happily let Zen win. He reached between them, brushing his fingers against her clit and sending a shockwave of pleasure through her before gripping himself to position his head.

      Zen broke the kiss and inhaled as he slowly eased into her wet heat. His hands cupped her hips and he peppered her jaw with kisses until his hips met hers and he had filled her.

      Maria ran her hands over his back, feeling the way his muscles trembled with restraint. He was holding back, giving her time to adjust, and her heart swelled with tenderness.

      “You don’t have to hold back, Hyun.” Zen shuddered at hearing her soft voice saying his name. She moved her hips against his and they groaned together at the sensation. “Unleash that beast already.”

      He needed no more encouragement. With the skills created by years of practice on stage, he began to move his hips. It only took him a short while to find a rhythm that had her panting and digging her nails into his back. He groaned and pulled her hips up, finding a new angle to sink in and was rewarded with hearing his name falling from her lips from a breathless pleasure.

      Zen took his time thrusting into her, his eyes never leaving her face as it contorted with beautiful. She was utterly gorgeous and all he wanted to do was continue the sweet torture until she fell completely apart.

      Yet with every stroke inside her tight warmth his stamina was being tested. So he arched over her, dragging his tongue against her neck as he quickened the pace of his thrusts. Her moans took on a higher pitch and she clawed his back. He kept working his hips, taking her already sensitive body and pushing her to new heights.

      “Let me hear it…” Zen kissed along her neck, nibbling on her pounding pulse. She was wound so tightly and it was getting harder for him to keep his pace up. He released her hip and dipped his hand between them, finding her clit and rubbing it. He would not last much longer, but he would ensure she got hers before he did. “Sing for me, princess.”

      It was not singing, per se, but it was still music to Zen’s ears. She came and and he followed soon afterwards. He carefully pulled himself out and rolled off, only to pull her in his arms and gently pepper her face with kisses until he heard her giggle sleepily.

      “Stop that…” She shifted to catch his lips in a slow, lazy kiss.

      “Never.” He kissed her lips again and gave her a squeeze. “I’m going to kiss you, pleasure you, and hold you non stop so you can never doubt how much I love you.”

      “Jeez, what am I going to do with you.” Maria blushed and hid her face in the crook of his neck to hide her smile. “I’ve gone and awakened the beast for real, haven’t I?”

      “Yeah, you have.” He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled. “Guess you have no choice now but to love the beast.”

      “I think I can do that.” She snuggled closer to him. “Yeah, I can definitely do that.”


	39. Day 10 - The Cabin

      Seven navigated through dirt paths that wound through the trees. It was already dark by the time he pulled off hidden road. He coasted to a stop beside a small cabin and shut off the engine. Morrigan was already asleep by then so he quietly pulled his bag out of the backseat and made his way to the door. It took quick work with a lockpick for the door to be opened.

      He checked to make sure it was clear, which he suspected it would be. He left his bag just inside the door and headed back to the car.

      “Morrigan…” He touched her shoulder and gently shook her. She mumbled and a slow smile spread over Seven’s face. Only Morrigan could sleep so peacefully in a car after the day they had. “You’re too cute…”

      Careful not to wake her up, he reached over her to unhook the seatbelt. A blush spread over his face as he brushed against her breasts as he carefully freed her from the seatbelt. She mumbled softly in her sleep but did not wake.

      He slid hid an arm beneath her legs and another under her arms to scoop her up. If she had been awake he would either complain about being carried or make some kind of joke that would make him turn match his hair and send his mind in directions it really did not need to go.

      His mind still wandered. Carrying her like this felt nice. He had seen men carrying girls like this in movies over the thresh hold of a new house, starting a new life together.

      Well, this was not their new home nor was she his blushing bride, but he could imagine she was.

      Turns out he did not need her awake to make him a flustered mess. He was doing a good job of doing that on his own.

      Seven made his way into the cabin without any mishaps and laid her down gently on the bed. Once Morrigan was settled comfortably he retreated to the car for some fresh air to regain his senses and to grab a few supplies for the night.

      Food, drinks, and simple toiletries. He considered grabbing a change of clothes but the idea of rifling through Morrigan’s clothing just flustered him too much. Handling shirts and such would be fine, but she would need undergarments and he did not have it in him to rifle through them. Besides, it would only add fuel to his overactive imagination if he happened upon anything cute and lacy.

      He returned to the cabin and set down the supplies to see Morrigan stirring on the bed.

      “Where are we?” She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

      “A cabin.” Seven abandoned the supplies to join her on the old, dusty mattress. “We’ll be safe here for the night, don’t worry.”

      “Okay.” Her trust in him was complete. She stretched before curling up into his side. “We should get on the RFA app and let everyone know we made it someplace safe.”

      “Yeah, but I’ve got to get some work done first…” Seven gave her a kiss on the forehead before extracting himself from her hold and retrieving his laptop from his bag. He returned to her side and opened it up on his lap. She settled back against his shoulder, dozing off again as he worked.

 

#

 

Morrigan: we’re the only ones here…  
707: Yeah  
707: We’re the only ones in this abandoned cabin.  
707: And we’re the only ones in the messenger…  
707: It’s late. I guess everyone’s sleeping.  
Morrigan: At least they’ll see this in the morning and know we’re okay. ^.^

 

      They talked about seeing V at the Mint Eye headquarters for a while, something they both agreed was rather upsetting. No one knew where they had gone exactly since they had not shared the address, but V had shown up. It was hard to see any innocence in the lanky man and ex-leader of the RFA.

      He had to have known about the Mint Eye headquarters before, which means he was likely a member of the cult. They had no choice but to keep V from themselves and the RFA. As soon as they could return home, Seven would have to block V from the chat.

      Even then, they could not be certain they would be safe from Mint Eye’s reach.

      Seven also explained to her that he had found the cabin before they came out there. It had been abandoned for some time, but still had electricity. It was a safety measure in case they needed some place to hide out and he was glad he had thought of it.

      The conversation could have been easily had outloud, but there was a certain comfort in being in the RFA chat, even if the others were not there. It also helped being able to talk about everything over the chat where their friends and second family could read it later.

      Seven explained over the chat what the work he had started. He was carefully and meticulously hacking into the intelligence agency he had worked for. If V had told then truth, then Vanderwood had Saeran and was likely taking him to one of the agency bases. There was no way he was going to leave Saeran in their hands, even if it meant giving up his life. He was going to save his brother.

      Morrigan sincerely hoped they could save him without him dying.

 

 **707** : So… we’ll have to postpone going back to everyone.  
 **Morrigan** : I’ll be with you until the end.  
 **707** : Thank you…  
 **707** : I think that you’re the only reason why nothing has happened to me.  
 **707** : Thank you so much for being so calm when we were in danger because of Saeran earlier.  
 **707** : Morri… I think my life changed completely after you showed up.  
 **707** : You were with me when I was bright and fun… and you stuck by my side when it was hard and miserable.  
 **707** : I’ve never had anyone like that in my life.  
 **707** : I’m sure that you had a hard time in the process of discovering the new me.  
 **707** : I’m sorry for hurting your feelings…  
 **707** : And thank you for with stranding all that.  
 **707** : Thank you for letting me know that it’s possible to live a new life.   
**707** : Morri… you mean so much to me now that I can’t even describe it.  
 **707** : This feeling… I don’t know what to call **it.**  
 **Morrigan:** …Is it…  
 **707** : Oh…   
**707** : We’re in the messenger so I won’t talk any more about my feelings.  
 **707** : Uhm…  
 **707** : I, I’ll just change the subject.

 

      Morrigan peeked up at Seven, seeing the blush on his face. She smiled and allowed him to change the subject for the time being and chatted with him about the party. Although neither of them could attend the party, they hoped it went well especially after the hard work everyone had put into it.

      A ding from Seven’s laptop drew the conversation to a slow. The programs he had running had either faced some problem that needed manual handling or had completed their task. Seven sighed and told Morrigan, through the chat, that he thought the programs finished running. He said he would go do some more work in the living room and asked her to go to bed.

      They finished out the chat with a final greeting to their RFA family, expressed wishes for the party to go well, before closing out the app. Seven carried his laptop into the living room and Morrigan settled down onto the bed, tugging the hoodie she had stolen from him tighter around herself. The exhaustion of the day eventually reclaimed her, making her eyelids grow heavy and pulling her back into a deep sleep.

 

#

 

      The intelligence agency knew how to code. They had firewall after firewall, layers of proxies, and back doors that led nowhere to trap would-be hackers. Their system was a complicated web that was a nightmare to dive into.

      Unfortunately for them, Seven had been trained far too well. He knew the way they worked. He knew the tricks they employed to protect themselves. Although he had to be careful, he still made his way into the system and tapped all communications from and to Agent Vanderwood as well as the tracking systems active on the agent’s equipment.

      It did not take much effort to reroute the information into one of his proxies. He would get the information first, then it would be altered enough to keep the agency from getting to Vanderwood and Saeran before he could.

      All the signals indicated Vanderwood had settled down at a safehouse for the night and nothing he could find indicated that Saeran had left the agent’s custody.

      They still had time.

      Seven set his laptop up to alert him of any changes before, make sure it was properly plugged in and all safety protocols in place to prevent anyone from tracking him, and then got up to stretch. It was late and there were few hours left before Vanderwood would likely go on the move. A few precious hours to get some rest.

      He made his way to the bedroom to check on Morrigan and found her curled up and whimpering on the bed. One of her nightmares had hold on him. a He climbed onto the bed and pulled her into his arms.

      “Shh, Morri. It’s okay.” Seven patiently rubbed her back, feeling the tension and chill in her body. Bit by bit she began to warm up and her whimpers quieted.

      “Saeyoung…?” Her voice was so quiet he nearly missed it.

      “I’m here.” He nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo. Even after the day they had, the long car rides, and the dusty bed, she still smelled better than PHD Pepper and Honey Buddha chips. “It’s okay. We’re safe.”

      “Yeah, you’re right. We’re safe right now…” Morrigan wiggled her hands beneath his coat and slid them underneath his shirt to warm them directly against his skin. He shivered at the chill against his skin and made a noise of distress. “Hey, I had a bad dream. My personal heater can stop complaining.”

      “Complaining!” Seven faked offence but was smiling. “I would never!”

      “Uh huh.” She lightly dug her nails into his back and giggled as the strangled noise he made. “You totally would, but you’re cute enough that I can forgive you for it.”

      “Gee, thanks.” He swatted her playfully on the rear and felt her body twitch in response. The sadist in him perked up. He was suddenly more awake than he had any right to be. He swatted her again, a bit harder than before, and found himself grinning at her little yelp.

      “Hey, now you’re being mean.” She squirmed in his arms to look up at him. Even in the dark of the cabin he could see her face. Morrigan was blushing and looked a bit surprised. “And you’re enjoying this!”

      “Yup.” Seven admitted it wholeheartedly. He slid his hand gently over her rear and up her back. His fingers tangled in her hair, holding her head in a gentle hold. “But you like it, don’t you?”

      “That’s beside the point…” Her blush deepened and her body grew warmer. “Since when were you so bold?”

      “From the moment you showed me your feelings.” He answered with a laugh. He gently tugged her hair and brushed his lips against her neck. Morrigan could feel him chuckle against her skin and the sensation danced through her nerves. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to conceal all this.”

      “Glad to know I made things hard for you.” She realised the innuendo when she felt him smirk against her throat. His mouth opened and claimed her neck in a sharp bit that had her trying to hold back a mix between a yelp and a moan.

      “I’ll never stop being amazed by you.” Seven’s tongue moved gently over the bite, soothing the sting away. “You’re so strange, Morri.”

      “We established that.” She giggled and lightly ran her nails over his back. With the scrape of her nails Seven felt his body temperature rise. Blood flowed south and he nipped her neck to make her moan.

      “You want to keep this game going?” There was a challenge in his voice. He pulled her hair, baring more of her neck for him to graze with his teeth. “Do you know how hard it is for me to hold back? To keep myself from leaving marks all over you?”

      “Your not making this game sound like a bad thing.” Morrigan was breathless, her body going taut with anticipation. “Do I need to put on the cat maid outfit again?”

      “Y-you don’t have that…” He swallowed as the memory of the dream that really happened rose to the forefront of his memories. With her so close, the taste of her flesh on his tongue, and her warmth against his body he could not control the arousal that spiked.

      “Maybe I do.” She grinned and slid her hand down, dipping to the waistband of his pants and following it to the front. “I think I’ll save that for a special occasion though. Perhaps to celebrate getting home.”

      “God,” Seven’s teeth sunk into her neck. She groaned and blood pool between her legs. Her fingers went for the button of his pants, clumsily undoing it. Her hand dove inside and he bit down harder as she rubbed his growing bulge.

      “S-so who’s winning?” She asked. His teeth loosened as she gently squeezed him through his boxers.

      “Good question…” His hips twitched, jerking into her hand to increase pressure. Even without looking he could imagine the smile she was wearing. That did as much to him as her sinful little hand did.

      “How long do we have until dawn?” No longer satisfied with palming him through the fabric of his boxers, she slipped her hand inside to wrap her fingers around the heated velvet of his cock.

      “A couple of hours…” His voice had deepened and she felt his pulse running along the vein. She stroked him and marvelled at the sensation of him growing harder and ticker in her hand. “We really should be getting some sleep.”

      “Then wear me out.” It was her turn to issue a challenge. She peered at him from beneath lowered lashes, unable to see his face, but admiring the way his broad shoulders shook as she stroked him. “As for our little game… I know how we can determine the winner.”

      “You’re not going to rest until I go to hell, will you?” Needing to reclaim some control of the situation, he tugged her hair and shifted his weight. With Morrigan now on her back and him over her, he could begin repaying her for the sweet torture she was giving him. “So, how do we know who wins?”

      “The winner…” Morrigan swallowed at the change on position, her excitement mounting. “Will be whoever gets the other off first.”

      “R-really?” He reached between the legs and cupped her. Her pace faltered as she arched. He wiggled her fingers against her to press against her and push his thumb though the fabric to rub her clit. “Sounds like a win-win situation to me.”

      “I thought so too.” She pulled her hand out of his pants. With each wiggle of his fingers against her she grew increasingly annoyed with the clothing that was separating them. Squirming out of the hoodie, she grabbed her shirt and tugged it up over her head, wiggling until it was free.

      Seven found out quickly that the brazen woman had forgone a bra in favour of comfort during their long car ride. Both of his hands moved north in favour of exploring and kneading the bared flesh.

      Sass was lost for the time being as Seven worked his talented fingers over her breasts. He massaged them until she was panting and then rolled the bud of her nipples. Their mouths met, rough and sloppy, and tongues tangled in a battle for control that Seven had to work to win.

      “Too much clothing.” Morrigan complained when Seven’s mouth finally left her to blaze kisses and bites down her jawline and to her breasts. “G-gotta fix that.”

Seven released her breast with a pop. He looked up at her to watch her face as he lazily swirled his tongue around her wet, puckered nipple. He gave her breast one last nip, catching the sensitive bud between her teeth and making her cry out.

      It was only then that he was content to pull away to grant her wish. He dragged his nails down her skin, hard enough to leave trails of white down her torso. He caught hold of her waistband, hooked his fingers, and pulled them down.

      Seven breath caught in his throat as he caught side of the dark skin stretching over Morrigan’s hip. Covering her hip and stretching down to mid-thigh was the Mint eye logo, scarred into her skin. He ran his finger over the dark shadow, feeling it’s raised texture and abnormally smooth surface.

      “They really did brand you…” His golden eyes met her mint ones in the dark bedroom and his heart broke at seeing the shame on her face. The brand had slipped her mind until the cool air hit it and now it was all she could think about.

      “Y-yeah…” The fire in her was doused by that fact and she scooted up the bed, drawing her knees to her chest. “I’m sorry.”

      “Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for.” His own arousal forgotten he followed her and pulled her into his arms. “You didn’t ask for it and you certainly didn’t deserve it.”

      “B-but…” Tears filled her eyes at the warmth he offered her and her tongue felt heavy in her mouth.

      “Shhh.” He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her temple. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Still the purest, sweetest, most aggravatingly wonderful and strange thing.”

      “I am?” Morrigan’s emotions crested and the tears fell. “Even with that ugliness, that constant reminder of the stupid cult there?”

      “Yes.” Seven squeezed her gently. “It’s just another reminder of how strong you are. After everything you’ve gone through, you’re still the shining light of my life.”

      “Dude, do you know how much I love you?” She released her knees and threw her arms around him, sniffing back her tears. “You talk like I’m something special, but I’m not. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

      “Nah, I’m not.” One of his hands slid to her back to trace gentle shapes onto her bare back. “You are special, Morri. I never even dared to imagine a life outside of the agency… I wouldn’t have made it this far or kept my shit together if it weren’t for you. So never think badly about yourself, Morri.”

      “You’re not gonna let me, will you?” She giggled and hiccuped. “Okay, okay. I’ll try not to think that way.”

      “Good,” Seven slipped his fingers into her hair to tug it gently, making her look at him. “I love you.”

      “Ahh, say it again!” Morrigan beamed at him and his cheeks filled with colour. “Say it~!”

      “I love you, you weirdo.” He kissed her. “Now shut up and go to bed.”

      “But what about…” She pointedly looked downward. While her arousal had been doused by the brand, his was still staining against his pants. “You need to sleep too and that can’t be comfortable.”

      “I’ll live.” Seven reached around her for the discarded hoodie. He wrapped the black and yellow fabric around her and kissed her nose. “Don’t worry about me.”

      “That’s sweet and all, but you’re gonna let me take care of you.” She pushed him back against the headboard and nudged his legs apart. His eyes were wide in surprise and a touch of awe. “You’re gonna sit there, enjoy this, and then we’ll cuddle and get some sleep. Got it?”

      “Yes ma’am.” His golden eyes darkened as he watched her crawl between his legs and reach into his pants. “Just know… I’m going to get you back for this, Morri. Just wait and see.”

      “I look forward to it.” Morrigan winked at him before unzipping his pants to give herself more room to free his erection from his boxers. She knelt down to brush a kiss against its head and delighted in the harp intake of breath. “Dominate me later, but right now, I’m calling the shots.”

      She started by peppering the length of his shaft with kisses, watching his reaction the entire time. He watched her, hands gripping the bedspread, and groaned when she gently grazed her teeth over him. She took her time learning the taste and feel of him with her lips and tongue before closing her lips over the head and sucking him.

      “Fuck!” Seven bucked deeper into her mouth, making her take another couple of inches. She swiped her tongue along the vein before taking him in deeper just to hear him cuss again.

      Morrigan reached for the base of his cock to stroke what she could not, or was not willing to fit in her mouth as she began to bob her head. She alternated between sucking, humming, and massaging his cock with her tongue to make his pulse jump higher and his voice go deeper with pleasure.

      She really liked the frustrated noise he made when she pulled back and swirled her tongue around the head of his cock.

      “God, Morri…” His hand went to her hair, pulling it back out of her face so he could see her and she would not get it in her mouth as she worked him. “You’ll be the death of me if you keep this up.”

      “Am I going too fast for you?” She asked with a wicked gleam on her eye before returning to her work at half the pace. The pleasure turned agonising and his grip tightened on her hair. She pulled back. “Or maybe I’m sucking too much?”

      “You’re goading me, aren’t you?” Rather than answer she wrapped her lips around his cock and hummed softly, sending ripples of pleasure through his body. His balls tightened, heavy with the need to release but she was purposely keeping him from it. “Evil little tease.”

      Seven took charge, using her hair to guide her. She readily let him have control, taking him as deep as he wanted her to and bobbing at the pace he wanted. With her mouth working him at a quick and deeper than before, she reached down to gently massage his balls.

      It did not take him long to reach his peak. He thrusted deep into her mouth and she felt his cock twitch as he released. After a moment he loosened his hold on her hair, gently lifting her head. His cock twitched against her tongue, the last of his release spurting against it before she swallowed. He watched her as she sat up, grabbed her discarded shirt, and wiped her mouth clean.

      “Alright. After that I’m sure we both can sleep now.” She smiled at him and pulled his hoodie back around herself, slipping her arms in and zipping it shut over her body.


	40. Day 11 - Love and Party

 

      Morning came and Morrigan was the first to wake. She wiggled out of the deathhold Seven had on her and slowly scooted off the bed. She shuffled around and quietly pulled her pants back on before leaving the bedroom. After locating the bag of toiletries she retreated to the bathroom to relieve herself and freshen up.

      Leaving the bathroom behind she fished through the stuff that Seven had brought in for a change of clothes, only to discover he had not grabbed anything for her.

      “What to do, what to do…” She glanced towards the door and considered running to the car to fish out a change of clothes. The other option would be to steal some of Seven’s clothes.

      It was his fault she did not have a change of clothes so she dug into his bag, noting that he had enough for her to steal without leaving him with nothing to wear. She pulled out a shirt that should fit well enough and found a pair of sweatpants.

      “Serves you right~” Morrigan hummed cheerfully as she stripped out of the hoodie and leggings to pull on Seven’s sweatpants and shirt. The sweatpants were fine, but the shirt did not fit quite right since she had more in the chest department than he did.

      It was still comfortable enough to serve its purpose and had the bonus of acting as a tease for Seven. She slipped Seven’s hoodie back on and zipped it up before collecting her leggings and the rest of her clothes from the bedroom.

      Morrigan snagged her phone from the charger and slipped it into the hoodie pocket. She grabbed Seven’s keys and headed outside to stash her dirty clothes in her bag in the car.

      In no real rush she loitered outside enjoying the calm morning. The sun had not yet crested the treetops and the sky was still pink and purple. A soft breeze rustled the leaves and caressed her cheeks.

      Her phone rang and she smiled as she swiped to answer and brought it to her ear.

      “It’s me~” As if it could be anyone else but Seven. “Why are you outside?”

      “Was putting away my clothes and decided to enjoy the morning.” She stretched, the carkeys dangling from her fingertips. “It’s nice out here.”

      “Yeah, it is.” Seven bumped the cabin door pen and leaned against the doorframe to watch her. “I’ve cut off all communications except the call. Noticed something suspicious…”

      “Anything I should worry about?” She pressed her phone between her ear and shoulder and stretched down to touch her toes. Seven inhaled sharply and she grinned.

      “Tease.” He chuckled and shook his head. She never failed to amuse him and throw him off his guard. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s access the messenger later and read the messages, okay?”

      “Sure.” At the reminder of the chat her shoulders slumped. Today was the day of the party. Everyone was probably already awake, or waking up, to finalise last minute things to make sure everything went well. Hopefully it would go off without a hitch so that next time they had one she would be able to attend.

      “You’re not depressed, are you?” The concern was clear in Seven’s voice. “Aren’t you happy that there’s a place we can return to?”

      “I’m not depressed. I just miss them a bit, but we’ll be able to go home soon enough and we’ll have Saeran with us.” It was the truth. She missed the RFA, but her spirits were not as low as they could be. She had the future to look forward to and, like he said, there was a place for them to return to. They had a family to return to. “And you’re right here with me.”

      “And you’re here with me.” Seven smiled as he stared at her back. He had watched her for so long. Over the CCTV feed in his bunker. In the apartment when she was not looking. “You know, staring at your back feels kind of different. I never thought I’d be so excited to look at someone’s back.”

      “Aww.”

      “I did some calculations and if we take the seaside road, we’ll be able to catch him soon.” Flustered by the sentimentality so early in the morning, Seven changed the subject. He had checked the laptop before coming outside to look for her to reaffirm the plans he had made the evening before.

      “Good!” She wiggled her toes against the damp forest floor, admiring the colours of the sky. The sun would be up soon and blue would fill the sky. “So we’ll be leaving out soon?”

      “Yeah…” He took a moment to memorise the image in front of him. She seemed so far but yet he knew in a moment she would turn to him. She was there, his, and the future was looking pretty good. “I made some breakfast just in case we can’t stop. Come here and let’s eat.”

      “Are you going to feed me?” She teased with a grin.

      “If you don’t really want to use a spoon,” He drawled with a wicked grin of his own and a laugh. “Should I feed you with my mouth? I don’t mind.”

      “So bold!”

      “Now I’ll feed you however I can, some come here. We have to do the ritual before we eat.” He crossed the overgrown yard and wrapped an arm around her to give her a tight hug. She turned in his arms, beaming at him, and his heart skipped a beat. “Don’t make such a pretty smile.”

      “Can’t help it.” Her smile widened.

      “I love you.” Seven’s phone left his hear and he wrapped that arm around her too. “I want you to look at me and love me too. We’ve come too far to turn back. I’m already too deep into you.”

      “Success.” Her voice came out as a whisper against his lips as she stole a kiss.

      “I love you, my one and only love.” Seven’s voice was just as quiet, whispering his love to her and her alone. “Now hang up the phone and come inside. Let me feed you before we hit the road.”

      “Okay.” She tapped the phone to end the call. He grinned and dipped her suddenly to steal a real, lingering kiss that made her breathless and smile like the fool in love she was.

#

      Maria smoothed down her skirt as she studied herself in the mirror. It was rare for her to wear a dress, but when she had spotted this one on the rack she had to give it a try. In the end she decided she liked the way she looked in it and had bought it.

      It was a silver and black number that had the faintest shimmer when she moved. Although the neckline dipped low, meeting the fabric tucking in at her waist with a simple silver broach, her modesty was preserved by a slightly opaque black and silver brocade panel over her cleavage. The dress was floor length, hiding the comfortable sneakers she wore on her feet, and she actually felt beautiful in it.

      She combed her hair and slipped a simple silver clip in at her simple to hold it out of her eyes. She did not bother with any makeup save for a slightly tinted lipblam that made her lips a bit redder.

      Maria left the bedroom and felt an arm slip around her waist. She was pulled into Zen’s arms and on the receiving end of one of his knee-weakening kisses that left butterflies in her stomach. He pulled back with an adoring smile.

      “You look ravishing.” Zen ran his hands over her curves and smiled down at her. “Simply breathtaking. I’ll have to keep my eye on you.”

      “Really now?” She blushed beneath his compliments. “And why’s that?”

      “Because all the men will turn into wolves when they see you at the party.” His voice dropped lower, going deeper with desire. “Maybe I’ll just keep you home.”

      “Nope, not happening.” Her blush deepened and she poked him in the ribs. “We’ve got guests to greet and a party to host.”

      “Right, right. We mustn’t be late for that.” Zen gave her one last peck before releasing her and offering his arm. “Ready, princess?”

      “Ready as I’ll ever be.” She tucked her hand in his elbow and smiled. “You’re gonna stay close by, right? I’m not the best with crowds.”

      “Of course.” Zen patted her hand gently. “Don’t worry, I’ll always be there for you.”

 

#

 

      Morrigan and Maria had done a fabulous job convincing the guests to come. Too good of a job, Maria thought as she finally was able to sit down. She and Zen and spent what felt like forever greeting the guests as they entered.

      Most of the guests stuck around to talk to them. Some of them asked about Morrigan, while others chatted to her about what they discussed over email. Others wanted to talk to Zen because they were fans of his work or wanted to admire his handsome face.

      Maria was not entirely fond of those guests, but she kept the smile on her face as she asked them to enjoy the party and not to keep the line held up. Once Zen noticed her discomfort with those guests he made a point of hooking an arm around her waist which made the guests move on a little bit faster.

      Finally meeting the members of the RFA in person made it all worthwhile.

      Jaehee came by to check on them and formally greet Maria. The assistant was too busy to stay for very long. She asked them to come find her when they finished and disappeared back into the party.

      Yoosung was the next one to come by to say hello. He complimented Maria warmly and warned Zen to take good care of her. All with a smile on his face. Although Maria eyed him carefully for any sign that he was upset, he seemed to be doing just fine.

      She did not have a chance to meet Jumin before he went up on stage to formally greet the guests and start the party. He welcomed back the old faces who had attended the party before and expressed a wish for this party to be just as successful, if not more, than the ones that came before.

      “This year we welcome two new members, Maria and Morrigan Chaikin our new guest coordinators. Most of you have spoken with them over email and I’m sure you met Maria as you came in.”

      Some of the guests in the audience shifted to scan the crowd. They spotted Maria at the back and waved at her before turning back to Jumin.

      “Morrigan can not be with us today. She and Luciel, who some of you remember from previous parties, are away on important business. They send their best wishes and look forward to seeing all of you at our next party.”

      Jumin’s eyes scanned the audience, knowing that there were two more faces he would not see. There was no coming back from where Rika had gone and with V’s departure no one really expected him to show up to the party. He had sent the photographs with permission for them to sell them at the party as per usual.

      How V could still capture beauty without most of his eyesight and heavy in secrets and lies, Jumin would never know.

      “The RFA has met with a lot of change lately. Losing some members, gaining some new ones. Old bonds breaking, new bonds being forged.” He forced his mind off of his oldest friends and back on the present - on the friends he still had. “But even in the face of change and of truth, the RFA has grown stronger and closer.”

      Jumin turned the talk to the good of truth and the positivity that change can bring. His speech moved fluidly towards the future and what they all could do to ensure the best possible future. The speech turned into a call for people to focus on the good, honesty, and change they can bring with the friendships formed and the generosity showed today.

      It made Maria want to throw money in. If she had any left after what she shelled out for the dress she wore.

      “He knows how to work a crowd.” Maria commented as Jumin closed out his speech and left the audience. She could hear the guests chattering, moved by his words. “Funny since he’s, well, Jumin.”

      “Yeah.” Even with his issues Zen had with Jumin, he had to admit the speech was a good one. He watched as the crowd began to disperse and mingle and music was turned on. Turning to Maria he offered her his hand. “May I have this dance?”

      “I’m rubbish at dancing, but yeah.” She giggled as she put her hand in his and was twirled into his arms. “Lead the way, Zenny.”

 

#

 

      Yoosung watched Zen and Maria dance with a bittersweet feeling in his heart. They made a gorgeous couple and looked so happy together, but Yoosung could not help the jealousy he felt. He wanted to be the one to make Maria smile.

      “Being her friend is good enough.” He reminded himself as he focused on her smile. She was happy and that was what mattered the most. As long as she was happy, he was just fine where he was. “Besides, Yoosung, you’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

      “Huh, what was that?” An elderly guest looked up from the small basket she was working on. “Did you say something.”

      “Oh, no, sorry.” Flustered that he had been overheard talking to himself he held up his hands with a nervous laugh. “I was just muttering to myself.”

      “Ahh, I do that sometimes too!” She lifted her basket. “Usually when I work. Helps me concentrate.”

      The elderly woman easily pulled him into conversation about basket weaving and Yoosung sat with her for a while. Bit by bit the feelings that had been troubling him unknotted and eased.

      His determination grew as he found himself weaving a basket under the old woman’s watchful eye and kind guidance. He was jealous, he could admit that, but he was not yet ready for someone as good as Maria. He would study harder, bring his grades up, and get his life straight.

      Then and only then would he be able to win Maria back.


	41. Day 11 - The Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not over yet.
> 
> I do have rough plans for a sequel too. :3
> 
> Also, this is a rewrite of the chapter. I didn't like the original rescue I wrote so I went with this one instead.
> 
> #SorryNotSorry

      The ocean sparkled beneath a vibrant blue sky. Fluffy white clouds drifted across the sky and in the distance a sailboat slowly floated across the horizon. It was like something out of a painting, too pretty to be real. The view was like the background of an anime or an otome game.

      “Game…” The word stuck out in her mind and her vision shifted. The colours sharpened and pixelised, freezing or moving too fast for the picture to be seamless. The images broke and coding twitched spreading binary over the scenery.

      Game. It was all a game.

      Morrigan squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her palms over her ears to block out the static.

      “Morrigan?” Someone called her name. A familiar voice. She felt a hand touch her. “Morri, you can’t leave…”

      “I don’t wanna…” She opened her eyes and watched the binary slowly fade into the scenery.

      “You okay?” Seven had pulled over the side of the road and was facing her. His hand gripped hers, tight enough to hurt. “Morri… What just happened?”

      “I don’t know.” The knowledge slipped away from her fingertips and she let it go. “Whatever it was, it’s over now. I’m okay.”

      “Are you sure?” Seven loosened his grip on her hand and rubbed the ache out of her flesh. “You… Do you remember when you tried to unlock the drawer?”

      “Yeah, I do.” She looked down at her hand in his. “I did something weird like that, didn’t I?”

      “Yeah, but it was all-throughout your body.” Content with the state of her hand he rubbed her arm, reassuring himself that she was alright. “You sure you’re okay?”

      “I’m sure.” Morrigan reached for him, smoothing her thumb over his frown. “Don’t worry. I’m good. It’s not gonna happen again. Now… Get back to driving.”

      “If you’re sure…” Seven stared at her for a minute longer before turning back to the car and started the engine again. He pulled off the should and gunned the engine. They had lost some time because of Morrigan’s freakout, but a bit of speeding would make up for it.

 

#

 

      The closer they got to Vanderwood’s location the more tense Morrigan and Seven became. The signal was static. Vanderwood was staying in one place, near a seaside safehouse, and likely realised they were on the way.

      “What’s the plan?” Morrigan asked as the GPS on Seven’s phone voiced their nearness to Vanderwood’s location.

      “I did something while hacking the agency last night.” Seven lifted one hand off the wheel, cracked his knuckles, and repeated the motion with the other. “I copied all their information and recorded a message to be sent to all the agents. They should have already received it.”

      “Isn’t that a bit risky?” Morrigan frowned. “What if they’ve set a trap for us?”

      “I’m sure they have…” He frowned. “But I needed to assure they wouldn’t hurt Saeran. So I made it clear they had the wrong person and threatened to out the agency if they hurt him.”

      “Okay, I understand.” Even if it seemed risky, she trusted that he knew what he was doing. He had some plan, something to help ensure they got out of this safely. “What do I do?”

      “Stay calm. If things go bad, get back to the car.” His phone chimed in again. They were almost there. “There’s a gun in the glove compartment. Do you know how to use one?”

      “Yeah…” Morrigan’s eyes moved to the glove compartment in front of her.

      “Good. If it’s necessary, I want you to use that. Do whatever you have to to stay safe.”

      “Okay…” She swallowed back the bit of fear rising in her stomach. She had a bad feeling about this.

      “I’ll send Vanderwood to the car… If I can’t take him here myself, you go.” Seven motioned to the radio. “Turn that on. It’s not a trap or anything. I’ve rigged up a message for him.”

      Vanderwood was waiting for them, standing in a clearing with Saeran at his side. The seaside safehouse was in the distance behind them and woods stretched around. Nothing about it looked good.

      “Showtime.” Seven pulled to a stop, leaving the keys in the ignition. Reaching over he gave Morrigan’s hand a squeeze for strength and they left the car. “Try to stay close to the car, okay? And trust me.”

      “I will and I do.” She nodded firmly and moved forward to sit on the hood of the car. Seven walked over to Vanderwood and Saeran, glancing between the two.

      “Hey, have you missed me?” Seven asked Vanderwood with a smile, much to Saeran and the agent’s irritation.

      “Now’s not the time to be joking around.” Vanderwood’s ever-present frown deepened. “Where’s the information?”

      “In the car.” He motioned behind him. “You can go delete it, but I want to make sure you haven’t harmed your hostage.”

      “Fine.” Vanderwood eyed him suspiciously. Seven was far too calm about this, but that simply could be because the red-head agent had a few screws loose. “But I’m not going to the car alone. I wouldn’t put it past you to try something.”

      “I’ll go with you.” Seven offered with a shrug. “But first, let me make sure Saeran hasn’t been harmed. If he has, well, the whole agency will pay.”

      “Yeah, like I trust you.” Vanderwood stiffened. “Just bring your computer here.”

      “I can take him to the car.” Morrigan spoke up with a small wave.

      “Morri, are you sure?” The concern on Seven’s face looked believable enough to be real. Then again, knowing him, it probably was the truest expression he showed since the confrontation started.

      “Yeah, I’m sure.” She slid off the hood of the car and approached the men. She offered Seven a smile and made finger guns at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

      “You do love her.” Vanderwood eyed Seven with a bit of disgust on their face. “I knew it. Fine. You try anything, you know what I’m capable of.”

      Vanderwood turned to follow Morrigan back to the car. Taking the opportunity, Seven turned to Saeran and looked him over. Seeing that his brother was unharmed, he began talking.

      “Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of this.” He kept his voice low. “How many agents are hidden?”

      “Why would I tell you?” Saeran gave him a look that made Seven’s heart ache. “I’m not on your side.”

      “Come with me. The agency won’t let you go free even if you’re working with them right now.” Seven shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “I’m not going to leave you again.”

      “Whatever.” Saeran’s eyes narrowed and his voice dripped with venom. “I’m not going to trust you.”

      “Then I’m sorry for what I have to do…” Seven’s hand shot out, jabbing his brother with a needle. Saeran groaned in pain and stumbled, his eyes closing. The ex-agent caught up before he fell and glanced towards the car, hoping that Morrigan was doing alright.

 

#

 

      “I knew you’d be trouble, but did he listen? Nooo, of course not.” Vanderwood muttered as he worked at Seven’s laptop to delete the agency information stored on it. Morrigan was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, within reach of the gun. “And he has a twin? Who knew!”

      “Must’ve been a shock.” Morrigan leaned over and flipped on the radio, causing the agent to stiffen. “It’s not a trap. Just something to listen to.”

      “Vanderwood~” Seven’s voice came from the car’s speakers. “Did the boss tell you you’d be forgiven if you did this? Did he promise you a promotion to the highest ranking?”

      “What the-”

      “Just listen, Vanderwood.” Morrigan put her hands in her lap, her eyes moving to where Seven and Saeran were.

      “You know as well as I do he’s not going to follow through. You’re not going to come out of this any better than I would… But there is a choice.” Seven’s recording continued. “I’ve got IDs for you. Hacked the National Registry and set everything up. You can escape and leave the agency behind.”

      “Did he really?”

      Morrigan nodded. Even if Seven had not told her he had done such a thing, she believed the recording was telling the truth.

      “You’ve got a chance to save yourself too. Tell your boss everything’s fine. That the data was deleted.” The recording told them. “Bring the car to me and we’ll escape together. The ID is yours and I’ll make sure the agency never finds you.”

      Outside the window Morrigan saw Saeran go unconscious and met Seven’s worried look. Unsure how Vanderwood was handling the message, she just gave him a small smile to keep him from fretting over her too much. Worst case scenario, she still had the gun to protect herself with.

      “Make your choice and make it fast.” Seven’s voice spoke again. “The agents you’ve probably got surrounding us might act soon.”

      The recording cut out and Morrigan reached over to flip off the radio and quiet the static. Vanderwood frowned and pulled out their phone, dialled a number, and put it to their ear.

      “Vanderwood here.” They spoke into the phone, sending Morrigan a wary look. “Agent Seven-Zero-Seven has a passcode on the data. Permission to approach him with it?”

      Whoever they were on the phone with, likely their boss, must have given the affirmative because the call ended shortly afterwards. Vanderwood stuffed the phone in their pocket and motioned for Morrigan to scoot over.

      “Drive to him.” They said.

      “Okay…” Bossy, but Morrigan scooted over and got behind the wheel. Vanderwood took her place and soon the car was inching towards Seven. Morrigan had been nervous before, but now she was so on edge she wondered if the agent beside her could hear her teeth gritting against one another.

      She did not have much experience behind the wheel of a car.

      She stopped in front of Seven and the unconscious Seven and gave him a shaky thumbs up.

      “Help me get him into the car.” Seven said to Vanderwood as soon as they left the car. The agent growled in irritation but slung his arm underneath Saeran’s shoulder to heft his weight towards the car.

      The agency must have realised Vanderwood was betraying them. Bullets whizzed through the air and Morrigan squealed, ducking down although they hit the window harmlessly. Bulletproof glass. That was a blessing.

      The car doors swung open and Saeran was shoved into the backseat followed by a bloody Seven. Vanderwood threw himself in the front seat, yelling for Morrigan to drive even as the doors were being shut.

      She hit the gas and jerked the wheel, spraying rocks as she swung the car around. A rain of bullets hit the metal and glass as she sped back the way they came and she prayed the car would hold under the onslaught. She drove, barely staying in her lane, and did not slow down until the ping of the bullets was long behind them and the sun dipped lower in the sky.

      “Seven, you okay?” Morrigan was scared to take her eyes off the road. He groaned as she hit a curve too fast and he hit is injured shoulder against the door. “I’m sorry, babe, but stay awake. Don’t you dare fall asleep on me right now.”

      “Just a flesh wound.” Seven’s voice sounded pained and he had a pale hand pressed against his shoulder. He was shot clean through and though the bleeding was starting to slow, it still hurt like a bitch. “The cabin. You know the way back?”

      “Kind of…” She risked a glance back at him and her stomach twisted at the amount of blood staining him. Forcing her eyes back to the road, she pressed down harder on the gas. “So stay awake. Make sure I’m going the right way.”

      “Aye aye, Captain Morrigan.” He sounded tired, but still smiled at her. “For someone who can’t drive, you’re doing a good job.

      “Must be my secret goddess powers.” She joked, needing to make light of the situation. “Maybe God Seven rubbed off on me.”

      “Maybe~” His laughter turned into a wince. “Maybe God Seven will rub some more on you later.”

      “Joking and flirting at a time like this…” Vanderwood shook their head and sighed, feeling a headache coming on. “You two are going to be the death of me.”

      “Nah, boo.” Morrigan’s grin was all teeth. “We just saved your life. You owe us.”


	42. Day 11 - The Cabin

      It was dusk by the time they made it back to the cabin. Saeran had remained knocked out throughout the entire car ride and Vanderwood had explained that they had teamed up to take down Seven. They did not know why Saeran had such a grudge against Seven, but had accepted the help nonetheless.

      That being said, Vanderwood expressed concern over what Saeran might do when he finally woke up. Neither Morrigan or Seven, who was looking a bit worse for wear, had an answer for the ex-agent.

      Morrigan helped Vanderwood get Seven and Saeran safely inside the cabin and she immediately fussed over Seven’s wound. It had stopped bleeding, but she insisted on bandaging the wound just in case it opened up again.

      While she fussed Seven hopped on the RFA chat to let them know they had saved Saeran and to ask Jumin not to do anything yet.

      “It’s a miracle the bullet just brushed you.” Vanderwood commented from his perch against the cabin wall. “Don’t you have that powerful guy in the RFA? Shouldn’t you contact him first?”

      “I did, but we need to stall a bit more here.” Seven winced as he pulled his shirt back on. The wound ached and his movements were slow. He pulled Morrigan’s hoodie back on, absentmindedly touching the bloodstained fabric. He would have to get her a replacement after all of this was said and one. “If we move the agency will find us.”

      “I know, but shouldn’t we take that risk? Or just spread info about the agency online.” Now that Vanderwood had betrayed the agency and became a fugitive with them, they seemed completely willing to throw their old boss and coworkers under the bus. “Let them self destruct.”

      “Then everyone in the agency, including the innocent ones, will be sacrificed.” As many issues as Seven had with the agency he once worked for, he was not about to ruin the lives of the innocents involved.

      “If you damage your shoulders for good, you’ll never be able to type again.” Vanderwood shot a pointed glare to Seven’s injured shoulder. “Since when did you care about the agency’s innocents?”

      “I’m keeping the info…” Seven caught Morrigan’s worried look and his tone softened. “I can go see a doctor once we’re safe.”

      “Will that be fast enough?” Morrigan was no expert on injuries, especially gunshot wounds, but it had looked pretty serious when she had bandaged him up.

      “It has to be.” He was willing to risk losing mobility to keep them safe. He had made promises to protect them all and he was not about to break his word just because of a wound.

      “I can’t believe you right now.” Vanderwood’s head hit the wall behind them with a soft thud as they stared up at the ceiling, wondering why they had gone with him. Their ex partner was as crazy now as he had always been.

      “Well… Now I have two people to protect…” Seven chuckled a little bit at Vanderwood’s theatrics.

      “How can you laugh right now?” Their expression soured and Vanderwood crossed their arms over their chest. “And I guess I don’t count in that two.”

      “Thank you for deciding to get us out, Vanderwood.” Seven dodged responding to what his ex-partner had said. Instead he offered a sincere smile and a deep nod of gratitude. “We’d have all been dead without you.”

      “No need to thank me.” The ex-agent seemed a bit flustered by the sudden show of sincerity and adverted their gaze. “I didn’t do it for you… I trust this ID is real.”

      “Of course. Who do you think I am?” Seven chuckled as he turned away to fish is laptop out of the bag he stored it in. It was a bit difficult to wrestle it free with one arm, but he managed it. Turning back to the older agent, he offered them his laptop. “I’ll tell you the code so type it for me. The agency just changed the algorithm. I need to hack in but I can’t type right now…”

      “Okay,” Vanderwood left the wall and accepted the laptop. They took a seat at a table near the fireplace and quickly got to the passcoded screen. “Go ahead.”

      Morrigan returned from the bathroom where she had scrubbed her boyfriend’s blood from her hands. Seeing that Seven and Vanderwood were hunched over the laptop and busily working, she passed by to check on Saeran. Bringing him inside had been Seven’s first priority, despite his injury, and they had deposited the unconscious twin on the couch.

      Seven had even insisted on draping a blanket over his brother.

      Morrigan felt for Saeran’s pulse and compared it to her own. Hers was a bit faster, but she suspected that was because she was awake and that Saeran’s was normal. His skin felt a bit waxen and clammy, something that was decidedly not normal.

      Peering closer she could see a faint sheen of sweat on his face. Using the sleeve of her hoodie, she wiped away the moisture as gently as she could before sitting back on her heels and watching him.

      Something tugged at the back of her mind and in her stomach. Instinct? Knowledge? Regardless of where it came from or what it was exactly, she knew something was wrong with Saeran and that it would only get worse. They still had some time, she thought to herself as she chewed on her lip. He was not as bad as she was before… before what? Her mind skirted away from it.

      “Ugh…” Saeran stirred on the couch, blearily rubbing at his eyes as he sat up. He looked around, eyes cloudy from the drugs that had knocked him out. “…Where?”

      “He’s awake.” Morrigan called to the others before gently nudging Saeran’s hand to get his attention. “Hey Saeran.”

      “Angel?” Saeran blinked at her, his lips twitching up in a confused smile. “What?”

      “Saeran…!” Seven jumped up a bit too fast and had used his bad arm to push himself out of his chair. “Ow!”

      “I get that it’s an emotional reunion, but don’t strain yourself.” Vanderwood’s tone held no sympathy as they looked up from the laptop to check on Seven.

      “Where… Where am I?” Saeran asked, eyes roaming the rustic cabin. The fog of the drugs were still think enough to make him slow to react to his brother’s presence.

      “It’s a cabin. A resting place on our way to safely.” Morrigan explained as gently and clearly as possible. She stood and offered Saeran a hand. He was hesitant to take it, but in the end accepted her help up.

      “You wake up and find that you’re rescued.” Vanderwood drawled as he motioned to Seven. The movement brought Saeran’s eyes towards him and the fog cleared away instantly. “So lucky, no?”

      “Why are you two together!?” Saeran’s eyes darted between Vanderwood and his brother. This was not right. They were supposed to have gunned Seven down after the data transfer. What had gone wrong with the plan? “What happened?

      “Oh…” The brunette shrugged casually as they returned their gaze to the laptop. “I betrayed the agency and ran away with your brother and sister-in-law. We’re still on the run.”

      “Sister-in-law?” Seven’s somewhat dreamy gaze met Morrigan’s from across the room. They both blushed at the implication “Nice.”

      “Shut up.” Morrigan cleared her throat and turned back to Saeran. “The agency shouldn’t find us here, so we’re safe for the time being.”

      “Right…” Saeran’s eyes snapped back to his brother and ex-assistant. “…You two are in the same team?”

      “For the time being.” Vanderwood answered as their fingers moved over the keyboard, no longer invested in the conversation.

      “God…” Saeran’s pulse was starting to pound in his skull and he felt ice and fire slide through his body. He slowly turned but did not see any sigh of his belongings. “Where are my things?”

      “Probably with the agency.” The brunette looked up from the laptop, unable to continue without Seven’s guidance. Unfortunately for them, the redhead was swaying on his feet with his attention focused on his brother.

      “Saeran…” Seven tried to get his brother to look at him, to talk to him, but the mint-eyed man ignored him.

      “Why do you tear up every time you see your brother?” Vanderwood rested their head in the palm of their hand, elbow on the table, as they stared up at Seven’s watery golden eyes. “I was kind of touched when you took that bullet earlier. Never knew you had it in you.”

      “It’s complicated.” Morrigan piped in, hoping to save Seven from having to explain the matter. It was an emotional subject and she was not sure her injured boyfriend could deal with it right now.

      “I talked with your brother a bit when I kidnapped him… but he is seriously furious with you. What the hell did you guys fight about?” Vanderwood glanced towards Saeran who was moving through the cabin in search of something. He checked under the couch, in between cushions, and even in the bags lining the wall. “I mean, he seemed to think of you as his arch enemy or something.

      “There was a misunderstanding.” Vanderwood knew that tone. It was not often he had heard the red-head’s tone turn so final. Understanding that they would not get any more information on the subject from him for the time being, Vanderwood backed off.

      “My computer, my computer isn’t here…” Saeran was muttering to himself.

      “No…” Morrigan frowned and grabbed his sleeve. The distressed male stopped his search and looked up at her. “Why are you looking for it? What are you planning on doing?”

      Saeran avoided answering her.

      “Saeran…” Seven came around the corner, hands stuffed in his pockets. “Can we talk?”

      “I have nothing to say to you.” The change in the man’s body language was instant. Where he had been loose and somewhat relaxed with Morrigan’s presence, he became stiff and his tone sharp with his brother’s presence.

      “Saeran…” Seven’s voice was heavy with pain at the rejection, but he sighed and turned away. He could not force him to talk when he was like this.

      “Hey kidnapper.” Saeran whistled to get Vanderwood’s attention. The ex-agent looked over at him with an irritated look. “I feel like I’m suffocating… I need some fresh air…”

      “Did you just call me kidnapper?”

      “If the shoe fits.” Morrigan chimed in only to become the receiving end of Vanderwood’s unamused glare.

      “Can it, missy.” Vanderwood gestured for her to zip her lips, but she felt no real barb behind their words. “Saeran can’t go out. What if he runs away?”

      “You wouldn’t run away, would you Saeran?” Morrigan gave him a hopeful look. After a long moment he finally nodded.

      “Well, I guess.” Although Vanderwood was obviously not keen on the idea of letting the unstable man out of their sight, they relented. “Oh, just don’t go further than the tree in front of the cabin. The satellite will be able to sense you if you go further.”

      “I’ll just stay right outside.” He held out his hand towards Vanderwood. “Give me a cig.”

      “Yeah, fine.” Vanderwood stood and crossed over, fishing a pack of smokes out of their coat pocket and handing one over. “Here.”

      “Saeran,” Seven said in an attempt to reach his brother once more. Saeran slipped the cigarette between his lips, accepted a lighter from his ex-kidnapper, and stepped outside.

      “It’s obvious he doesn’t want to talk to you. Just leave him.” Vanderwood watched the door swing shut and turned back to Seven. “At least you can see him, right?”

      “Yeah, I guess…” It was only a little comfort, but it was all Seven could claim at the moment. Slowly he turned away from the door and returned to the table.

      “What time is it right now…” Vanderwood patted their pockets and frowned. “Did you see my phone? Forgot where I put it.”

      “Let’s hack into the agency first.” Seven dismissed the missing phone for the moment and flicked the laptop. “This is more important.”

      “Okay, right.” Vanderwood returned to their seat, fingers poised over the keyboard.

      “I’ll go see if I can whip something up for dinner…” Morrigan needed something to do to keep her mind off of Seven’s injury and Saeran’s sullenness.

 

#

 

      The flare of a lighter barely added any light to the dark front yard of the cabin and the cheery-red glow of the cigarette it lit helped even less. Stars filled the sky above him, but Saeran’s attention was on a device he pulled out of his pocket.

      He cast a furtive glanced towards the doors and windows to check if the people inside were actually giving them privacy. Seeing that they were, he laughed.

      Taking a deep drag from the cigarette, he turned on the device in his hand. It was a passworded burner phone, but he had watched Vanderwood long enough to have caught the agent putting in the code. It only took him a second to get in and turn on GPS.

      His mouth moved as he read the coordinates displayed. Once, twice, and a third time to ensure he had them memorised. He switched to the dialscreen and put in a number he knew by heart.

      “Hurry… pick up.” He flicked the ashes off the end of his cigarette as he listened to the line ring. Finally someone answered. “The coordinates are 16.27352, 31.26592. I am with Luciel, his assistant… and that new woman. If we git rid of these three, Mint Eye will be safe.”

      “Is this a problem you can handle on your own?” The voice on the other end asked.

      “No. Please send back up.”

      “Will do.” The man on the other end of the line was quiet as he plugged in the information. “We can prepare a team and send them to your location. They should arrive in the morning. Can you keep them there?”

      “Yes. I will stall for time until the morning.” No longer needing to continue the conversation he ended the call, deleted the contact from the call history, and turned off the GPS. The burner phone was turned off and slipped back into his pocket.

      He would have to drop it somewhere inconspicuous so Vanderwood would not suspect he had pick-pocketed it.

      “Luciel,” Saeran turned to the house as he brought the cigarette to his mouth. The cherry glowed as he sucked in the warm smoke that spiralled into the sky when he released it. “You will have to pay with your life for tricking me. As for your assistant and my Angel… Those two will be invited to Heaven.”

      Saeran finished his cigarette and ground it out beneath his boot. Let them think they had ‘rescued’ him. Let them focus on the agency and think they were safe. Come morning they would learn otherwise.


	43. Day 11 - Being Selfish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we end day 11 with a bang.

      “Morri, can you do something for me?” Seven pushed himself up on his good arm and looked down at the sleepy woman in bed with him. She smiled up at him and his heart swelled. “After all of this, I’m going back to being Saeyoung and starting life anew… Can you call me that from now on?”

      “Saeyoung.” Morrigan said and he smiled, loving the way his birthname sounded when she said it. “Saeyoung, Saeyoung, Saeyoung~!”

      “I love you.” He brushed the hair away from her face and pressed a kiss against her lips. “I’m sorry for scaring you today. I promise everything will be over by tomorrow.”

      “Yeah.” Morrigan hoped he was right. She was eager to get back home, hear about how the party with, and see her sister again. “Tomorrow.”

      “I can’t believe it. All of this.” Saeyoung settled his weight against her, cuddling into her softness and warmth. “Chased after my brother, have him in the next room… Without you, I would never have known the pain that my brother went through. I might have never found out the truth so I could rescue him.”

      “Oh shut up.” Her cheeks flushed red and she curled her arms around him. Her fingers ran through his messy red locks and he sighed.

      “I hated god for making me this way, but…” Saeyoung’s hand trailed over her body to her hip, pulling her closer. “I was able to meet you because of all the troubles I’ve gone through. For the first time in my life… I want to do things with another person. And once I started thinking about it, I couldn’t stop.”

      “Oh, what kind of things?”

      “There are so many things I want to do with you. From small things, to big grand plans, they’re all inside my mind.” Saeyoung nuzzled the crook of her neck and placed gentle kisses against her pulse. Part of him wanted to tell her so badly the dreams he had. Dreams of them laying together like this, at peace and warm. Dreams of her becoming his wife. Dreams of a kid of their own. “But I don’t want to tell you right now. I’m afraid you’ll run off if I tell you… I’m afraid something bad will happen again.”

      “Saeyoung, I’m not going to run off…” Morrigan squeezed him tighter, but was careful not to hurt his shoulder.

      “If I say it and something happens to me… It’ll be so sad if they don’t come true.” He lifted his head from her neck and offered her a smile that made her heart do a flip in her chest. She accepted it and gave him one in return. She could wait to hear his dreams. “So for now, the dreams I have about our life will just stay inside me.”

      “Alright.” She lifted her head to brush her lips against his. “But as soon as everything’s calmed down and we’re okay, I want to hear some of those dreams.”

      “And you will.” His golden eyes moved over her face. He never wanted to forget the way soft, barely noticeable freckles dusted her cheeks and nose. They were the most visible when she blushed and tempted him to kiss every last one. Such a small detail, but one he never could get over. “Tonight might be our last night if things go wrong… or we might be able to spend the rest of our lives together.”

      “The latter sounds good.” Morrigan did not want to even think of the alternative. They had to make it through whatever tomorrow brought, get home, and have the rest of their lives to look forward to.

      “I can’t say for sure what’ll happen, but if tonight is our last…” Saeyoung swallowed and cupped her chin, brushing his thumb against her lips. “I just want to do one thing. Can I… be a bit selfish to you?”

      “Yeah?” Morrigan’s blushed deepened and heat infused her body. Saeyoung’s eyes were molten gold that seared her and left her nerves tingling with anticipation.

      “I want to leave on you evidence that I existed.” He slid more of his weight over her body, one leg sliding between her knees. “I want to hold you tight and love you all night so that you can remember me forever. Will you let me?”

      “There’s no chance I’ll forget you,” Her hands slipped through his hair. “But you can be ‘selfish’ if you want… Can you though? With your injury…”

      “Oh, I most definitely can…” Saeyoung’s head dipped down to capture her lips in a searing kiss. His leg shifted to rub against her. “I don’t need my shoulder to leave evidence on you… Though it does make it a wee bit difficult to hold you as tightly as I want to.”

      “Well, I’ll just have to hold you even tighter to compensate…” Morrigan slid her arms down around his waist and squeezed him tightly.

      “Ahh, my love.” Saeyoung bit her lower lip before pushing himself up on his good arm. He reached for the zipper of her hoodie and slowly pulled it down. His breath caught in throat when he saw his shirt stretched over her breasts. “Oh, you minx. You stole more than my pants this morning.”

      “Yup, because someone didn’t grab me a change of clothes.” Her sass was answered with Saeyoung’s mouth descending on her breast, biting her through the thin fabric of the shirt.

      “I said I’d get you back for last night, didn’t I?” Saeyoung’s voice was deep and muffled against the cotton covered mound in his mouth. “This is only the start…”

      Saeyoung bit and suckled on her breasts, one at a time, until her nipples were straining against the damp fabric. He listened to her breath grow unsteady, peppered with little whimpers and sighs. Every little sound sent his blood flowing south. Ignoring his own rising arousal, he began working his way south, catching the hem of her shirt with his teeth and giving it a playful tug.

      Morrigan rushed to strip off the hoodie and shirt and as soon as it was over her head Saeyoung pounced to taste her flesh. He mimicked the actions he had done before, nipping and suckling at her breasts, but feeling the direct wet heat was an entirely different sensation.

      Bit by bit, his mouth travelled over every bit of her torso and left a wave of marks and sensitive flesh in its wake. By the time his mouth had made it up to her neck, she was already a quivering and needy mess. His weight kept her pinned firmly in place which proved to be a form of torture with his thigh pressed between her legs as a constant pressure but none of the friction she was craving.

      “Saeyoung…” Morrigan reached for him, but he dodged her touch to straighten up kneel above her. The movement caused his thigh to shift against her and she arched, trying to get more of the minute sensation.

      “You don’t know how beautiful you are right now.” Saeyoung raced his fingers over his body, leaving gooseflesh in his wake as he traced shapes between the marks he had left all over her neck and torso. “But I’m not done yet… I haven’t done nearly enough.”

      Saeyoung’s fingers found the hem of her sweatpants. Even with his injured shoulder he grabbed hold and edged them down her legs. He pulled them down over her socked feet and dropped them to the side. He caught his lip between his teeth, groaning low in his throat when he saw she had gone without panties underneath his sweatpants.

      His cock twitched, straining beneath the fabric pinning it down. His face grew hot with embarrassment as he undid his fly and zipper to alleviate some of the pressure. Morrigan pushed herself up and kissed him hard. Her hand went to touch him but he caught her by the wrist.

      “Nu-uh.” Saeyoung admonished gently as he gave her a kiss. “No touching me right now, unless you want to help me get undressed.”

      “That I can do.” She was too eager to get his clothing off, but forced herself to hold back as she carefully peeled his shirt off. Her fingers moved to the bandage and her ardour cooled for a second. “Are you okay?”

      “The love of my life is naked as a jay bird…” A smile spread across his face as he drew her chin upward with the touch of a finger. He kept her eyes on his as his other hand dipped between her legs, cupping her intimately before sliding a finger along her slick slit. “I’ve never felt better.”

      “Fuck…” The word turned into a moan as he slid a long digit inside of her. She fell back against the bed as he began to work that finger in and out of her. He must have remembered how to work her into a frenzy from a dream, because soon he slipped a second digit in and curled his fingers just so to hit the bundle of nerves inside that had her biting her lip to keep quiet.

      Saeyoung watched her face as he moved his fingers inside of her, alternating between pumping into that spot that had her toes curling and spreading his fingers to stretch her. He used his freehand to caress her body. She started quivering around his fingers and he smirked and turned his hand so he could thumb her clit.

      It was around the time that Morrigan began bucking into his fingers and biting her hand to keep quiet that Saeyoung decided to amp things up a bit. Slipping his fingers free, he delighted in her needy whimper before trusting his slick fingers back inside. He held onto her hips with his free hand to hold her still as be began pumping his fingers faster and harder, aiming for that bundle of nerves that was driving her towards her orgasm.

      Once he got his new rhythm down he began digging his nails into her flesh in time with his trust, giving her a little spike of pain to heighten her pleasure. Under the relentless attack it did not take much longer for her body to give into the waves of pleasure. Her back came off the bed and her teeth sunk down even harder into into her hand to keep herself quiet.

      Even so, her muffled squeal was the most beautiful sound Saeyoung had ever heard.

      “That’s it…” He let her ride his fingers through the aftershocks of her orgasm. Once her hips stilled he pulled his hand away and brought his glistening fingers to his mouth.

      “Gross.” Yet she could not look away as he slowly licked her juices clean from his fingers. The longer she watched the more erotic the image became. His eyes slid closed and she swallowed, her body growing hotter seeing him enjoy the way she tasted.

      Guess it really was not that gross after all.

      “Tastes pretty damn good to me.” Saeyoung told her as he gave his fingers one last lick to finish cleaning off her juices. “A nice appetiser for the main course…”

      Saeyoung moved off the bed to strip off his pants and boxers. In his eagerness to undress he jerked his shoulder. A spike of pain went through him, but it did nothing to dampen his arousal. With his pants and boxers down and kicked off, his cock sprang free from its confines.

      It was not until he had pinned Morrigan down and was sliding his cock along her wet slit that his nerves got to him. He had confidence in his fingers from years of hacking and the erotic ‘dream’ they had shared. He knew what to do there, but when it came to this he froze up.

      He was a good Catholic boy, cross hanging from his neck and all, that never had gotten this far with anyone before. Heck, everything he had done with Morrigan up to this point was new to him. Now he was poised in a moment between breaking his Catholic vows of chastity and potentially impregnating his girlfriend.

      “Saeyoung, are you okay?” Morrigan’s face was all concern. He had grown still, his eyes distant and thoughtful, and she could see how nervous he had become. “We don’t have to do this… We can always save it for later.”

      “No, I want to do this…” He brushed his lips against hers. “It just hit me, all of a sudden, how big this actually is.”

      “That’s what she said.” The words came out of her mouth without her brain giving them the okay and she cringed at the bad joke. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

      “You’re one of a kind.” The nervous energy inside him was melted by the deep love he had for her. She had cracked a joke and somehow made everything better. “You don’t know how much I love you.”

      “I could say the same to you.” Morrigan slid her hands up his arms and gently around his neck. She shifted her hips, rubbing herself against him and they groaned breathlessly. Emotional and spiritual tension had been dealt with, but their bodies were still wound tight. “So… We going to hell tonight or what? Cause I’m all dressed up for it…”

      “Are you sure you want to do this?” Saeyoung had to be sure. “I mean… We don’t have a condom and I don’t know what might happen tomorrow and-”

      “Shut up.” Morrigan cut him off with a kiss. She had Sex Ed in her school years. She knew what could happen when a man and a woman had unprotected sex. She was willing to take the risk and if something came from it, well, she was okay with that idea. “I want this, okay? I get what could happen and I’m fine with it.”

      “Are you sure you’re sure?” There was the hint of a smile on his face as he shifted to press the head of his cock against her. “Absolutely, one hundred percent positive?”

      “God help me, Saeyoung.” She did not know whether to hit him or kiss him for that. Instead she rolled her ups up against his, taking him in just a little bit. It was not enough at all, but his gasp made the tease worthwhile. “Just make love to me already before I strangle you.”

      “Well, since you put it that way…” Saeyoung’s hand went to her hip, pinning her down as he slowly pushed his cock inside of her. It was torturous for the both of them, her needing the fullness of him and him feeling her the wet heat of her tight around his cock. Finally his hips were flush against hers and they were both having some trouble breathing. “I’m in.”

      “Did you just…” Morrigan gave him an incredulous look. “Dude, I know I cracked a ‘That’s what she said’ joke, but did you really just go and do the hacker thing?”

      “Yup.” He pulled back and thrusted in hard, knocking the breath from her lungs and making her toes curl. “And you love it.”

      It did not take him long to find a rhythm, fast and hard that felt good to the both of them. Mindful of the other people in the cabin and unsure of how thick the walls were, Morrigan’s hand went to her mouth to keep herself quiet.

      Saeyoung, however, took it as a bit of a challenge. He lifted her hips to better angle himself and sped up, making a point to try to hit the bundle of nerves as often as possible. It served a duel purpose - the first being to make this as pleasurable for her as possible and second being something to make her moan. He really wanted to hear all the lovely noises she made.

      With every trust and ripple of pleasure running through their bodies, neither of them would last for very much longer. Her nails scoured his back and his hips snapped into hers. His hand dipped between them to find her clit, inching and rubbing the bundle of nerves until the building pleasure finally burst.

      It only took a few more thrusts before Saeyoung was moaning along with her. He slowly rolled his hips into hers, milking their orgasms for all they were worth, and sank down to kiss her.

      Eventually they both stilled, breathless and sated. It took Morrigan a while to come to her senses enough to nudge him until he rolled off of her. She did not care that she was messy, sweaty, and a little bit sore. She slid her arms around him and snuggled into his side, pressing a loving kiss against his jaw.

      Saeyoung wrapped his arms around her in return, not even feeling the pain from his injury. It was nothing compared to the afterglow that they were blanketed in or the warmth in their hearts. True to his earlier words, he selfishly held her tight even as they drifted off to sleep.


	44. Day 12 - Knock Knock

      Morning came and Morrigan was the first awake once more. Reluctantly she rolled out of Saeyoung’s arms and fumbled around to find her discarded clothing to cover her nudity. Once she was dressed again she slipped his hoodie onto her arms and shuffled out of the bedroom to the bathroom to freshen up and relieve herself.

      She exited the bathroom to run into someone’s chest. Looking up she saw Saeran’s cranky expression. He looked a little worse for wear. His complexion was sallow and his gaze unfocused. He grunted and brushed her aside before disappearing into the bathroom.

      “Sorry dude,” Morrigan spoke through the closed door. There was something about the way he looked that rang a bell for her. Something familiar that made her ache with sympathy.

      “With all due respect, Angel…” Saeran’s voice was muffled by the door, but she could hear pain in his voice. “Fuck off.”

      “Saeran…” She reached for the door, as if she could offer him some kind of comfort. The wood felt like static and the world spun on her. Nausea and pain rose in quick succession and she recoiled from the door. The symptoms faded quickly as she put distance between herself and the door. “Are you okay?”

      “I’d be a lot better if you would shut the fuck up.” There was a thump as if he kicked or punched something. “Angel, please. Go away.”

      “It’s the medicine, isn’t it?” Even as she asked, she knew she was right. It was withdrawals from whatever arsenal of drugs Mint Eye had been pumping into him. “You’re starting to have withdrawals, aren’t you?”

      “Unless you’re going to help, I suggest you leave me alone.”

      “Fine… Just swing by the kitchen when you’ve got a moment.” Morrigan left the bathroom door behind, trying not to think too hard on how she had known what was ailing him, especially from a short glance.

      Saeran avoided being alone with her. She tried to ask him how he was feeling and offered him food. He glared at her, told her to keep her mouth shut, and left the kitchen with a crowd of grumpiness and his small breakfast ignored.

      If Vanderwood noticed that there was something wrong with Saeran, they made no mention of it. They accepted the bowl of oatmeal Morrigan offered and sat down to eat. Saeyoung found his way into the kitchen shortly afterwards and threw his arms around her, kissing her neck and giving her a squeeze.

      “How’s the arm?” Morrigan asked gently as she shooed him towards the table and set his breakfast down in front of his seat. The hug had been a bit on the weakside and she wondered if their late night activities had strained it. “You should let me take a look and rebandage it before we leave.”

      “It’s fine.” He waved it off, but looked a bit too pale for her liking. “We’ve got about an hour to eat and get everything packed back up. My arm can wait a while longer.”

      “Are you sure?”

      “Yeah. Once we’re back in the city I’ll have it looked at.” He dipped his spoon into his oatmeal and shovelled a large bite into his mouth. At least his appetite seemed to be alright. “Don’t worry too much about me, lovebug. I’m fine.”

      “If you say so…” While not entirely convinced, Morrigan decided to let it go for now. There was little she could do and if he said it did not need bandaged again, she would have to take him at his word for the time being.

      “Oh, Morri, my love.” Saeyoung beamed up at her. Although he was troubled by the fact she was not eating breakfast with them, he was thrilled to see her distracted smile. Morrigan was sitting on the counter, watching them eat, and clearly in high spirits. “Do you mind cleaning up in here while I pack our things?”

      “Sure.” She already planned to clean up the small mess she had made while preparing breakfast. It would not take her long to clean up the kitchen and pack away the food. She could help finish gather the few things they had scattered throughout the cabin.

      In the end it took her a little bit longer to clean up the kitchen than she had expected. Some oatmeal had somehow gotten out of the bot and onto the stovetop, leaving a burned on mess that required some elbow grease without the aid of any decent cleaning products.

      Morrigan made her way into the living room to wiggle the food supplies back into the bag it had come from. She wandered through the cabin to make sure there was nothing left scattered around. It was only the four of them for one night, but she wanted to make sure there was nothing left.

      Eventually Saeyoung caught her arm and dragged her into the living room. He gave her a gentle push to the couch. He even plucked Meowy into her arms and told her to play with the cat while he and Vanderwood did some work at the computer.

      Morrigan shrugged and relaxed with the robotic cat, chatting quietly with it while the others worked. From her perch on the couch she could see into the kitchen where Saeyoung directed Vanderwood if she glanced to the left. Glancing the other way brought her eyes to Saeran who seemed to be no worse than he had been that morning.

      Eventually Saeyoung left Vanderwood to put away the laptop and walked over to the couch. A gentle nudge of her arm with his fingertips was all it took to bring her attention from the white robot in her lap. She smiled up at him and reached up to wrap her fingers around his wrist.

      “Do you have all your things?”

      “Yes.” Morrigan’s smile fell a bit and she moved her finger against his wrist. His pulse felt a bit too weak. Between that and the sombre silence of his twin, she felt a sliver of uneasiness chew its way through her good mood. “But, to be honest, I don’t feel good about this.”

      “You don’t?” Saeyoung’s golden eyes searched hers for a long minute, reading the concern in her expression.

      “I don’t either, meow!” Meowy perked up from her place on Morrigan’s lap.

      “Maybe I’m just worrying too much.” She absentmindedly patted Meowy’s head as if it were a real cat needing comfort. “It might just be some pre-road jitters.”

      “Still, I should check my weapons again…” Saeyoung shifted his hand to slip his wrist free and give her fingers a squeeze. It would not take him long to check the weapons he had in his bags and in the car. “Robot cat, switch to battery saving mode.”

      “Changing to robot toy!” Meowy purred as she stretched before curling up in a ball on Morrigan’s thigh. “Changing to sleep mode… shhhh.”

      Saeyoung left Morrigan’s side to do what he had said he would do. Morrigan watched him for a while before setting aside the robotic cat and moving to the corner Saeran had taken up residence in. The cultist glanced at her before sharply turning his gaze away.

      “I know you didn’t eat.” She said after kneeling down at his side. Despite the low sound of irritation, she reached over to lay the back of her hand against his forehead. “You need to drink something. Dehydration’ll only make it worse.”

      “I don’t get you.” Saeran brushed aside her hand and refused to meet her concerned gaze. “You shouldn’t be here…”

      “Here as in…” Morrigan prompted as she dropped her hand to her side. “Here checking on you? Here with Saeyoung?”

      “Yes.” His face was pinched and his voice had an high pitched edge that made part of her recoil. “Both. Either. He’s one of Mint Eye’s enemies, Angel.”

      “Your well-being is important to me.” She shifted to try to see his face, but he turned his face away. “Saeran… No matter what I’ve said and done, I will always side with goodness and honesty.”

      “But…”

      “Don’t worry about it right now.” Finally able to meet his gaze, Morrigan offered him a kind smile. “Just go get a glass of water to drink. We’ll talk about this later.”

 

#

 

      Vanderwood and Saeyoung’s chairs were scooted close and their heads were nearly touching as they slouched over the laptop. They were checking over the schedule one last time and checking the agency’s servers. They needed to make sure their tracks were covered and their way back into the city would not be impeded by agents coming after them.

      “You remember that long you saw yesterday?” Saeyoung asked as they started shutting down the laptop. “The agency is tracking us like crazy and upgrading their whole security system.”

      “Yeah.” Vanderwood nodded as they scooted back from the table to arch their back. How anyone could sit hunched for so long they would never know. “We might not be able to get in again soon.”

      “You read that document saying that the update will start in the next hour sharp and last for two hours, right?” The red-haired hacker began unplugging the laptop and wrapping up the cords for storage.

      “Yeah, it had the chief’s signature so it’s real.” It was going to be a thorough update intended to close ever backdoor Saeyoung used to infiltrate the servers and reprogram all the coding to keep him out.

      “We’ll worry about that later.” They should be safe from the agency for the time being. Most of the agency’s operatives would be focused on the update rather than coming after them. “Meanwhile, we’re going “Meanwhile, we’re going to get out of here and go to Jumin.”

      “Okay. So we have to leave…” Vanderwood checked their watch and did a quick mental calculation. It would take them some time to get out of the woods and into the nearest city. “…around 28 minutes from now.”

      “Yes.” Saeyoung handed over the cords and Vanderwood slipped them into the laptop bag along with the laptop itself. His gazed moved away and towards the living room.

      “Seven…” The brunette waited for Saeyoung’s attention to return to them before speaking. “Are you sure we can take your brother? He hasn’t been saying anything and he’s a liability.”

      “I don’t really know how I can approach him right now.” Saeyoung admitted. His hand went to his shoulder to gingerly touch the wound he had taken. “But we’re not leaving him. He’s my brother.”

      “I wouldn’t even talk to him if I were you.” Vanderwood slid the laptop bag over their shoulder and led the way to the living room. “You both are strange. No wonder you’re brothers.”

      “We ready to go?” Morrigan asked from her spot on the floor near Saeran.

      “Soon.” Saeyoung approached the pair and offered his girlfriend a smile before turning to his brother. Saeran was pale and was shaking a little. “Saeran, are you hurt anywhere?”

      “Just leave me alone.” Saeran’s hands balled into fists and he shot his brother a hateful glare. The worried look on his twin’s face disgusted him. It seemed so real, but it could not be. This was the one who had abandoned him. He could not be trusted.

      “I know you’re misunderstanding things about me.” Saeyoung sighed, wishing he could get through to his twin. Years of distance and lies had dug deep into his once kind brother. “Some day you’ll know the truth… you’ll know that it was V and not me all along…”

      “Excuses, excuses.” Saeran’s eye twitched as he felt like his skull suddenly split. He dug his nails harder into his palms to keep from letting his weakness show. “You always like to give excuses, so that you’re never the one to blame.”

      “Guess he’s answering now.” Vanderwood commented as he watched the scene unfold.

      “Not helpful, Van.” Morrigan frowned at the brunette who shrugged in reply.

      “I never would have left you if I knew this would happen… Never.” Focused completely on Saeran, Saeyoung ignored his ex-partner as he tried to breach the wall built between them. His words battered against the wall and he wondered if any was making it through. “Now that I’m finally with you again, I don’t want to ever let you go. I’m going to stay with you and explain everything.”

      “I don’t want to hear any more.” Saeran’s voice was higher-pitched than normal, sharp-edged and bitter.

      “I won’t give up.” Seemingly unperturbed by the continued rejection, Saeyoung pressed forward. “I know that we can go back to how we were… we got through so many things relying on each other.”

      “I said I don’t want to hear any more.” Saeran was on his feet in a second and pushing his brother away. “Just shut up.”

      “Hey, is your arm okay?” Vanderwood rushed to Saeyoung’s side to pull away the hoodie and tugging on the collar to peer at the bandage hidden beneath his shirt. “It’s not bleeding… but you should get out of here and go to the hospital.”

      “Saeran…” Morrigan shot the white-haired man a disappointed look as she got up. Vanderwood was brushed away and she peeked at Saeyoung’s wound to see for herself that the bandage was still white and clean of blood. “It’s good that it hasn’t opened up again, but we really can’t put off having a doctor see it for much longer…”

      A knock startled the tense occupants of the room. All eyes moved to the wooden door as the knock sounded again.

      “Wh…what?!” Vanderwood’s eyes widened as they turned to Saeyoung. “No one should know this place, right? Who’s knocking?”

      “Right…” Saeyoung’s expression sharpened as he eyed the door. He moved to a nearby bag and pulled out a gun, checking the safety. “Might be the agency.”

      “Are you sure you can run?” Vanderwood slipped their gun out of the holster hidden beneath their jacket.

      “If I need to. Morri, come behind me.” Once the purple-haired woman was safely behind him he lifted his gun to point it at the door. Pain laced through his body at the sudden weight on his shoulder and he nearly dropped the gun.

      “Don’t hold anything with that arm!” Vanderwood snapped at him. Saeyoung nodded and switched arms, hoping that his aim with his off-hand would be good enough. “What do we do? Should I just start shooting?”

      “We can’t have anyone die here.” Whoever was behind the door knocked again and Saeyoung tensed further.

      “We’ll get through this.” Morrigan reached for him, brushing her fingers against his back to try to calm him. It was horrible seeing him in this position, with a tool of death in his gentle hands.

      Hopefully soon he will truly be able to leave this life behind.

      “Move over.” Saeran moved through them, roughly brushing his brother and Vanderwood aside on his way to the door.

      “Hey, stay still!” Vanderwood reached for Saeran’s wrist to keep him from touching the doorknob.

      “You don’t think…” Horror filled Morrigan at the thought that crossed her mind. Saeran had moved with purpose to the door as if he knew there was no danger on the otherside. “Please, tell me you didn’t.”

      “Back off, traitors.” Saeran threw wrenched his hand free of Vanderwood’s hold and undid the locks.

      “Saeran?” Saeyoung’s eyes widened and his gun lowered. He knew what he was seeing but he hoped his eyes were lying to him. “What are you doing?”

      “Took long enough…” Saeran swung open the door. “You’re just in time.”


	45. Day 12 - The Other Side of the Door

      There was no mistaking the tall man that stood in the doorway of the cabin. Even in the faint light of the rising sun, his teal hair and lanky build was instantly recognisable to Morrigan and Saeyoung.

      V.

      “What the hell, V!” Morrigan scooted closer to Saeyoung. Her fingers found his hoodie and tightened around the fabric. Something was wrong, very wrong, for the ex-leader of the RFA to be there.

      “Morrigan,” V greeted her calmly. His tall, thin frame was half in shadows from the rising sun that glinted off his sunglasses. It had been hard to see his eyes before, but now it was impossible. “Saeyoung…”

      “Where is the Savior?” Turns out Saeyoung and Morrigan were not the only ones surprised to see V there. Saeran’s hand left the doorknob and his eyes narrowed at the man in front of him. “Why are you here?”

      “Saeran, what is happening?” Saeyoung asked. He leaned back into Morrigan’s warmth. The weight of the gun in his offhand felt heavier than ever before. Even after all the betrayal, he could not imagine himself using it against V.

      “I’m pretty sure your brother contacted that cult and told them we’re here.” Vanderwood held none of the hesitance that their ex-partner did. Their gun was pointed at V’s forehead. “But this man… Isn’t he the leader of the RFA?”

      “He was.” Morrigan answered. Saeyoung reached back to push her back behind him again. He grunted and she gave his hoodie a gentle tug. “Saeyoung?”

      “I’m fine…” He kept his voice steady, but she could hear the strain in it.

      “Saeyoung, are you hurt?” Using the sound of the younger man’s voice, V inclined his head towards Saeyoung.

      “It’s none of your business.” It was impossible to believe in the concern he heard in the older man’s voice. The redhead’s hand tightened his hold on his gun, but could not will himself to raise it just yet. “V… Tell me what you’re doing here.”

      “I came to take you all.”

      “A bad guy then.” Vanderwood lowered their gun slightly as they realised something else. V had a cane, but did not lean his weight on it. He shifted to face whoever was speaking to him and had not spotted the bandage peeking out from Saeyoung’s collarbone. “He can’t see us, can he?”

      “Yes and no.” Morrigan leaned around Saeyoung to eye V suspiciously. Twice now the lanky man showed up at locations he should not be and now he was claiming he was here to take them. “V saw enough to let us know you took Saeran.”

      “What did you do to the Savior?!” Saeran’s question burst forth as he grabbed the taller’s man collar. “Why are you here instead of her?!”

      “The Savior sent me.” Despite the violence in Saeran’s voice, V remained completely calm. “I’ve received orders to bring you into Mint Eye.”

      “So you are with them after all…” Part of Morrigan had been hoping that all of the evidence against V had been a misunderstanding, but now she could not harbour that hope. V was part of Mint Eye. “V… Did you know about me?”

      “Not until just recently.” V answered evenly. “And I know few details. I was just instructed to take extra care in returning you to Mint Eye.”

      “This is what he wanted when he gave me clues to go after Saeran…” Saeyoung’s voice had the bitterness of betrayal and it was all Morrigan could do to keep herself from hugging him.

      “I guess…” Morrigan’s frown deepened as her confusion grew. It certainly did seem like he had used them to rescue Saeran from the agency, but part of her wondered why he had not tried capturing them then.

      “Should I shoot him?” Vanderwood asked, hesitant to act quickly. The situation was pretty fucked.

      “Why are you here instead of the Savior?!” Saeran seemed stuck on V’s presence rather than the empty eyed Savior of Mint Eye he had expected.

      “Because she chose me,” was V’s answer.

      “Shut up.” His voice was sharp enough to cut, but the target of his anger and disbelief remained unphased. “There’s no way.”

      “Seven?” Vanderwood asked again as their finger moved closer to the trigger.

      “I didn’t come alone.” That explained part of V’s calmness. Whether he could see the weapons aimed at him or not, he knew he had backup. If they acted then whoever was waiting outside would come swooping in. “I brought enough people to take you all by force. But… I have to be the one to send the message.”

      “I don’t like this, but whatever. I’ll return to Mint Eye first.” Saeran dug his nails into his palm and violently shoved past V. His hair caught the morning sun as he glanced left and right to take in the force that had come with V. “Disciples, take these people.“

      “Saeyoung…” V was more urgent now as he stepped inside the cabin. The robed figures swarmed in behind him and spread through the room. Too many for them to fight even with the guns.

      “Fuck…” Seven dropped his gun with a dull thunk and fished his phone out of his pocket. His fingers worked quickly to send a message to chat, but the pain in his arm was growing stronger. It was too hard to type and his message was sent incomplete.

      “Let go of everything in your hands or else we will attack.” One of the cultists barked the order and Saeyoung dropped his phone. The robed figure kicked it and the gun out of his reach. “Arrest those who are not with us!”

      “Seven…” Vanderwood glanced back at the redhead who shook his head. The ex-agent growled as they switched the safety on and set it down, kicking it into the corner where their assailants would be less likely to use it against them. “So the cult has us now.”

      “I’ll take the injured one myself.” V stepped forward, reaching for Saeyoung.

      “The disciple still doesn’t trust you.” One of the cultists blocked V and grabbed Saeyoung roughly by his injured arm, causing him to grunt in pain. “We’ll take all of them ourselves.”

      “Be careful!” Morrigan grabbed the man’s arm and dug her nails in. Binary danced over her fingers and she sunk in. The cultist screamed and released his grip on Saeyoung, staring at her in shock and recognition. Knowledge filled her and static made her hair stand on end.

      “Angel!”

      “Byeong-Ho.” His name fell from her lips and he shook in fear. Information flowed through her mind at a rapid pace. Devote follower for years. Lost a wife to the induction but he had children. One teenager and one fully grown, both part of the cult’s flock. “Your son has your passed wife’s humour and your daughter has her eyes.”

      “Please don’t hurt them.” Byeong-Ho was desperate to appease her. “I’m sorry, but I have to. I’m just doing my job.”

      “Then show more care.” She snapped. She released his arm and her fingers sparked as they moved through the fabric of his sleeve. It singed and burned black. “Or else I’ll have to pay Bora and Ji a visit.”

      “Y-yes ma’am.” His fingers trembled as he reached for Saeyoung’s arm and he shot worried looks her way. He was extremely careful as he slowly guided his captive out of the house. Another cultist reached for Morrigan but the nasty glare she sent them made them drop their hands. They trailed after her as she moved to follow Saeyoung.

      “What the hell?” Vanderwood had seen the entire thing and doubted their eyes. The cultists kept their distance from Morrigan and either looked at her in fear or avoided looking at her at all. The agent glanced back at their gun, recalculating their chances of fighting. “Don’t tell me you’re with them too.”

      “It’s a long story, but I’m not with them.” She answered with an apologetic smile. There was no time to explain her ties to Mint Eye or her strange abilities. She wished she could fight, but she had no idea how to utilise it. “Sorry, but we can’t fight our way out.”

      “Fuck.” Some of the remaining cultists grabbed the ex-agents arms and roughly forced them out the door. Vanderwood stumbled over the threshold but the cultists only tightened their hold and kept moving.

      “Don’t forgive me.” V stopped Saeyoung with a gentle hand against his arm. “No matter what I do… Please remain as Luciel.”

      “Don’t say that now. I’m going to curse you forever.” Saeyoung’s spine straightened and he refused to look at the man he once saw as a father figure. The pleading tone in V’s voice only made the pain inside him deepen. “And I’m no longer 707 or Luciel. I don’t need the name you gave me or the one God gave me. I’m Saeyoung.”

      V stepped away and the cultists began moving again, leading them all to a van with heavily tinted windows. The back doors were open and Vanderwood was shoved in first. Morrigan climbed in and offered Saeyoung a helping hand in getting inside, trying not to let him strain his shoulder any further. The door slammed behind them, blocking out the light of the morning sun.

      “Morrigan…” Saeyoung settled down on the bed of the van beside her, reaching for her hand. He pulled it into his lap and gently rubbed the jumping pulse in her risk. “I’m so sorry. I’m going to find a way to get us out.”

      “I know.” She wanted to lean against him but was afraid she would hurt him. Instead she offered him her most optimistic smile. “We’ll get through this.”

      “I don’t know what you want to do with that arm,” Saeran’s giggling voice drew their attention to deeper within the van. None of them had immediately noticed him within the shadows of the darkened van. The wide smile on his face was manic and his eyes sparkled with sadistic glee. “I’ll give you more pain soon, just you wait! I’ve waited for this for a very long time.”

      “Saeran…” Morrigan swallowed against the emotion that thickened her tongue. She knew what Mint Eye was capable of. She knew what Saeran himself was capable of. Her dreams were tormented with memories of pain from an alternate life. If they had made her suffer that much, she dreaded the thought of what they would do to Saeyoung. “Please… don’t. This… this isn’t right.”

      “Maybe I’ll let you watch, Angel! Your sentiment towards him will fade away soon, just wait and see. You’ll come back to us, to me!” Saeran’s excitement was not dampened by the disappointment in her voice. He was downright giddy. He reached for Morrigan, fingers closing over his hair, and pulled. “Finally, all my efforts are coming to light. Oh, I can’t wait.”

      “This isn’t right.” Morrigan repeated as she moved to Saeran’s side. He stopped pulling when she was kneeling at his feet, but did not let go of her hair. “Saeran, this isn’t the way it should be. This isn’t going to make you happy.”

      “Brother…” Saeyoung’s eyes darted between his twin and his girlfriend, fear for her well-being stronger than fear for himself. “Please don’t hurt her.”

      “I can’t make that promise, but don’t worry about my Angel. She’ll be fine in the end. Luciel…” Saeran’s tone changed completely. It grew jagged and sharp. Dangerous. “I’ll take you to where that woman is. The one who tortured us.”

      Saeran ran his fingers through Morrigan’s hair, but the usually soothing action only made her uneasy. A flood of emotions poured through her, confusing as they rapidly twisted and turned within her. Static sizzled through her and binary danced at the edge of her vision.

      She could hear car doors slamming and felt the engine of the van rev before it began moving. Her dread rose as did the alien giddiness and she realised Saeran’s emotions were slipping into her through the contact as he continued to play with her hair.

      It was only a small comfort to feel the wiggling worms of doubt, but she could not be sure if it was his or hers.

 


	46. Day 12 - Questions Without Answers

      Saeran kept Morrigan tucked against his side as he and the other disciples herded their captives through the twisting halls of Mint Eye headquarters. Passing through a set of double doors, the room opened up around them.

      Plush red carpet squished beneath their shoes, stretching upwards and up a set of stairs to a cushioned throne. A luxuriously canopy stretched over it, painting a portrait of royalty. The Saviour herself sat on the throne, donned in robes of white, black, blue, and gold. Her slender hands were gracefully resting in her lap and her golden hair curled behind her like a shining cloud. She wore a serene smile on her face, but her green eyes were shadowed and empty.

      “I brought them here, just as you said, Rika.” V’s voice echoed slightly in the large room as he addressed the Savior.

      “Rika… You’re alive?” After everything that had come out, all the lies V had told him, Saeyoung had never once considered that V had lied about Rika. He did not want to believe his eyes, but the woman in front of them had to be Rika. “Why is Saeran calling you Savior? Why are you sitting there?”

      “That’s because she’s the Savior.” Morrigan stared up at the woman. Rika turned to face her with a smile.

      “Ahh, Angel! It’s been a while.” She sounded pleased. “It’s good to see you again.”

      “Why didn’t you tell me?” Saeyoung’s question was directed to his girlfriend and her shoulders slumped under the weight of it. “Morrigan…”

      “I didn’t know her name.” She turned her face away from Rika’s hauntingly empty eyes. “And I just… didn’t remember somehow. I didn’t connect the Savior to those old pictures of Rika I saw in the chat.”

      “Savior.” Saeran smiled brightly, his voice drawing Rika’s attention.

      “Ahh, Saeran. I heard there were people tracing us.” A delicate hand reached up to brush her bangs from her eyes. “What happened?”

      “The agency Luciel and his assistant worked for was chasing us, but we took care of them.” He sounded pleased with himself and a Morrigan felt as if she had been dunked in cold water.

      “Saeran, what did you do?” She grabbed at his sleeve and he turned his smile to her.

      “There’s no need for you to worry about them.” The mint-eyed man answered gently as he touched her face. His fingers felt like ice.

      “He probably spread the info I hacked or handed it to someone else…” Saeyoung pressed his hand against his shoulder with a wince. The hoodie was damp and he realised his wound was bleeding again.

      “Saeyoung…” Hearing the pain in his voice, Morrigan tried to go to him. Saeran caught her by the hair, yanking her less than gently back to his side.

      “Morrigan!” Saeyoung made a move towards her but a disciple blocked his path.

      “I’m okay.” She exhaled slowly against the prickle of pain.

      “Rika…” Forcing his gaze away from Morrigan and Saeran, he turned back to the woman on the throne. “V told us you committed suicide, yet here you are…”

      “This is very exhausting.” Rika sighed and nodded to Saeran. “Take care of them.”

      “Yes, my Savior.” His pleasure at the order did not bode well for them. “And my Angel? Shall I take care of her too?”

      “Put her down with them.” The empty eyed woman answered as she stood and smoothed down her robes. “She needs to go through the entrance ceremony as well.”

      “Rika!” Saeyoung tried to draw her attention back to him. “What did you do to my brother?”

      Rather than answer, Rika gracefully descended the steps. Her green eyes moved over the assembly gathered before her but did not see them. She made her way towards a disciple standing near the front of the crowd and whispered too quietly into their ear for the group of outsiders to hear.

      “Rika, Rika…” V called for his ex-fiance but she did not even look his way. She finished speaking to the cultist and left through a side door.

      “The Savior has no interest in you.” Saeran’s voice drew V’s sightless gaze. His smile grew more sinister and his glance slid to Saeyoung for a moment. “It’s a big mistake if you think that being her ex lover means anything. Just be grateful that you’re alive, for now.”

      The message behind his words were clear and both men read it loud and clear.

      “Take them in.” Saeran ordered the disciples. He shoved Morrigan into the arms of a nearby cultist. The cultists responded quickly to gather up the captives and began leading them through the double doors they entered through.

      All except for V.

      “What are you doing?” Saeran grabbed the cultist who was taking V towards another door. “I said take them in and you’re going the wrong way.”

      “The Savior has called for him separately.” She replied evenly as she tugged her sleeve free of Saeran’s hold. “Excuse me.”

 

#

 

      The disciples led them through the twisting halls of the Mint Eye headquarters. Some of the hallways seemed familiar and they were led past a door that made her shudder in horror. A door she knew from her nightmares.

      Instead they were taken through a hidden door and lead down into darkness. The air grew stale and heavy with smoke. The walls turned rough and were built with heavy chunks of square-cut rocks. Iron braziers studded the wall, their fires flickering as they passed by.

      In the end they were pushed into a medieval looking cell with heavy iron bars. The cell door was slammed shut and one of the cultists locked it with a key from a jangling ring hidden within their robes. Once they were certain their prisoners were safely trapped, the cultists left them behind.

      “Well, fuck you too.” Morrigan grumbled at the cultists as she slumped against the worn wooden bench that was the only furniture in the cell. “Shitbricks, this sucks.”

      “Yeah…” Seven moved towards the door and gave it a hard yank with his uninjured arm. His other arm hung limply at his side.

      “Stay still.” Vanderwood moved Saeyoung away from the door and made him sit down beside Morrigan. “Let me see to that wound…”

      Morrigan helped Saeyoung slip out of his hoodie and shirt, but the shirt was partially soaked through and clung to his wound. It took her and Vanderwood both to peel it off and even then he groaned in pain. The amount of blood coating his chest made Morrigan ill and she reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze as Vanderwood got to work tending to it.

      A couple of handkerchiefs, the old wet bandage, and a belt later the would was bandaged again, but Vanderwood’s expression had gone grim. They were silent as they helped Saeyoung dress again.

      “How are you still sane right now?” Vanderwood asked incredulously. They had known their partner was strange and stubborn, but this was beyond their understanding. “I tied it again, so the bleeding should stop, but you might seriously die like this.”

      “Hey!” The brunette’s words felt like a knife in her heart and Morrigan smacked the ex-agent for it. “He’s not going to die!”

      “Morrigan, I’m sorry.” Saeyoung reached for her hand and she turned back to him. He was pale and his eyes slightly unfocused. The blood loss was starting to tale his toll. “I told you I’d protect you, but I’m so weak…”

      “Shut up, you’re still protecting me.” She scooted closer to him and slid her arms around him. The metallic stink of blood filled her nose and when she tried breathing through her mouth she could practically taste it. “It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay.”

      “I don’t know why they stuck you here with us. Aren’t you supposed to be their Angel?” He straightened with a groan and pushed her away gently so he could look her over. “No one hurt you, right? Good. We’re going to get out of here, somehow. And… I’ll make sure that you’re safe, even if I have to risk everything I have.”

      “I’m more worried about you.” Morrigan knew she would survive. Mint Eye might be willing to hurt her and torture her, but she knew they would keep her alive. In the end, she had the greatest chances of survival, but none of that mattered to her. Not with her lover slowly bleeding to death.

      “You’re really strange.” Saeyoung smiled at her, wishing he could pull her into his arms. Instead he tried to clear his mind and focused on what needed to be done. “Either of you have any transmitting device? A hidden phone or something?”

      “I’m sorry. I don’t have anything.” Vanderwood glanced towards Morrigan who shook her head. Her phone had been on the charger back at the cabin and Vanderwood had been frisked once they arrived at Mint Eye.

      “Damn it…” Saeyoung’s mind raced as he looked around. A bomb would be great right now to blast through the bars, but there were no chemicals within the cell or within reach from their prison he could use. “How about something sharp?”

      “I’ll look…” Vanderwood’s eyes moved to Morrigan. “Keep him here and make him rest. I don’t want to see his dead body, okay? It’d ruin my life.”

      “As soon as we get out of here I’m going to smack the taste out of your mouth.” She narrowed her eyes at them. “Go find something sharp and stop talking about him dying.”

      “I’m not going to pretend he’s fine to protect your delicate sensibilities.” The brunette answered with a glare of their own. “Face the facts. He could die here.”

      “Delicate!” Morrigan leapt up from the bench and went toe to toe with Vanderwood, craning her head to look up at the taller individual. “I’ll show you delicate, you fart-sucking dillweed! Say it again! See what happens!”

      “Guys, stop.” Saeyoung’s quiet voice immediately ended their argument. They turned in unison to him, anger melting away to concern and embarrassment for getting into it when they were locked in a prison cell and he was bleeding from a gunshot wound. “I’m fine. I can get through this. I have someone to protect, after all.”

      “Dude, do you know how much I fucking love you?” Morrigan smiled at him, relieved to still hear strength in his voice. She knew that determined gleam in his eye. He would not let a simple bullet beat him.

      “I had no idea you were so persistent…” Vanderwood swallowed thickly and turned away search the cell. Needing to change the subject before their emotions got the better of them, the ex-agent cleared their throat. “You knew that queen bee, right? You know, with my life on the line right now I need to know what’s going on.”

      “Her name’s Rika.” Saeyoung answered as he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the stone wall behind him. “She founded the RFA. I’ve mentioned her to you before.”

      “The woman who threw herself into the ocean?” Vanderwood glanced back at the couple on the bench. “She doesn’t exactly look like she’s been taking a year-long swim.”

      “Yeah, she looks pretty good for a corpse.” Morrigan sighed and raised her hand to her temples to rub at the suddenly growing headache. “V told us that story. Shouldn’t be surprised to learn that it was just another one of his lies.”

      “And she was Saeran’s ‘Savior’ that had him brought here. All this time, she was the leader of the organisation I was after.” Saeyoung’s hands tightened into fists and she ground his teeth as anger sparked within him. He had to get out even more than before now. “I have to let the others know, but first… I have to tell Jumin the address to this place.”

      “I thought you did before.” Morrigan lifted her head from her hands and tilted her head. “You messaged the RFA chat, didn’t you? Just before they yanked us out of the cabin.”

      “I tried.” He motioned towards his injured arm. “But I only managed to send the X coordinates before my shoulder told me to piss off and the cultists noticed what I was doing.”

      “Well, what are the chances of them figuring out where we are with just that?” Morrigan’s hopeful expression faded quickly at the look on Saeyoung’s face. “Yeah, didn’t think so. We’re kind of boned, aren’t we?”

      “Seems that way.” He offered her a small smile. “But if anyone can figure it out, Jumin and Jaehee might be able to do it. The question is whether or not they’d have enough time.”


	47. Day 12 - Hoping

      The RFA chat blew up with concern over Morrigan and Seven’s well-being. There had been no word from the couple since the last short update stating that they had found Saeran. Seven had popped on for a short time and left without anything more than a string of numbers that appeared to be partial coordinates.

      Jumin was certain the strange message had been Seven trying to ask for help, but without the other half of the coordinates there was little he could do. He and Jaehee assured the other members of the RFA that they were searching for the missing coordinates.

      Although they were doing their best and putting all their efforts into finding out where Morrigan and Seven were, Jaehee and Jumin were realists. They did not know how long it would take but they were determined to not give up.

      “Maria…” Zen laid a hand over her phone and gently pushed it down. She had been checking it on a regular basis, but since Seven’s mysterious message she had not let it down for more than a second. He could not blame her.

      “Zen…” Maria sniffed and lifted her gaze to him. “Something bad happened, I just know it. Morri needs my help.”

      “I know you’re scared…” Zen took her phone from her loose fingertips and set it aside before crawling onto the bed with her. He gathered her into his arms. “But it’ll be okay. If anyone can find them, it’s Jaehee and Jumin.”

      “I don’t know what I’ll do if something happen to her…” She buried her face in Zen’s shirt and tried to let his steady heartbeat calm her. “I just have a really terrible feeling. They’re in a dangerous place, I just know it.”

      “Shhh, it’ll be okay, princess.” Zen’s heart broke for her. Maria had been growing increasingly distressed throughout the day and he wished he knew how to comfort her.

      The news all over the television and online did not seem to help matters much. Some secret intelligence organisations data had been anonymously leaked and it was trending on every social networking site that Zen checked.

      The agency had back deals on a treaty agreement with another country, there was a famous celebrity who was actually married, and a lot more political things. Nothing about the organisation sounded good and Zen and Maria were fairly certain this was the mysterious intelligence agency Seven worked for.

      With the timing of the data leak, Seven must have something to do with it. The information coming out almost at the same time as Seven’s half-coordinates only spelled major trouble.

      “Don’t you have rehearsals?” Maria’s voice pulled Zen from his thoughts. He loosened his hold on her so he could look down at her troubled face. “You shouldn’t put them off because of me. I’ll be fine for a couple of hours on my own.”

      “Ahh, my princess.” He smiled and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “Don’t worry. I’m still on break. You’ve got me all to yourself for a few more days.”

      “Lucky me.” Maria did feel fortunate. Although she had plenty of time to herself when Zen wandered off to workout or to practice his upcoming production, she was extremely grateful for his comfort and company. She shifted to press a kiss against his cheek. “Really, thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Hyun.”

      “Oh, do you know what hearing you say that does to me.” Zen’s hands moved to cup her ear and gently slid into her hair and pull her even closer to his body. “Calling yourself lucky and saying my name in the next breath. Come on, princess, don’t you know that I’m the lucky one here?”

      “Oh, really now?” Maria’s cheeks reddened considerably as he gave her rear a playful squeeze. “Are you sure you’re not just hoping to get lucky?”

      “You can’t blame a guy for hoping.” There was the faint dust of colour on his face as he brushed his lips against hers. “I’ve got a beautiful, sexy girlfriend who keeps sneaking peeks at me when I’m trying to work out, thinking that I can’t see her.”

      “You can’t prove it.” Because the higher pitch she spoke in and the deepening blush did not give her away entirely. “I’m as innocent as the day I was hatched.”

      “Sure you are, princess.” Zen gave her a more lingering kiss this time, one she happily returned. “You feeling up to a movie? We can rent one or hit the theatres.”

      “Ahhh, I don’t know. What if something happens while we’re distracted.” Maria turned her head towards her phone which was currently silent, half-hoping it would ring and half dreading it in the same breath.

      “Maria, I’m worried about them too.” Zen’s gentle fingers slid from her hair to touch her chin and guide her face back to his. Their eyes met and he offered her an understanding smile. “If there’s anything I could do to help, I would, but sitting around worrying all day won’t do us any good.”

      “I can’t imagine enjoying a movie while they’re out there in danger. In the hands of the agency or that crazy cult.” Her emotions welled up again and her vision of his handsome face blurred as tears filled her eyes. They fell from her eyes, tracing lines over her cheeks and dripping from her chin. “You don’t know what that cult is capable of… What they’ve already done to us, to Morrigan.”

      “No, I don’t know…” Zen brushed away her tears and slid his arms around her to cradle her to his chest. She sucked in a breath of air and her shoulders shook as she sobbed. “But I think I know those well enough to know that they’ll get through this. They’re weird and they’re strong. If anyone can find a way to survive that agency and the cult, it’s those two.”

      “I-I hope so…” She buried her face against his chest, muffling her tears. “I can’t lose her and I can’t reset again…”

 

#

 

      “Savior.” Saeran kept his hands in his pockets to hide the way they shook as he stood at the foot of the Saviour’s throne.

      “I’m busy right now.” His Savior did not look up from the tablet she was working on. “Let’s talk later.”

      “Why are you keeping V alive?” The question brought Rika’s head up. Her green eye narrowed in warning but Saeran pressed on. It was one of the questions that had been burning since his return. “You hated him so much. He’s the cause of all this!”

      “Saeran…” A slow smile spread across Rika’s face, but it did not meet her eyes. “I only have to test something. Don’t think too deeply about it.”

      “That man isn’t worthy of anything. Not even some test.” He bit the inside of his cheek and the taste of blood filled his mouth. “You said yourself that he’s a lying hypocrite that hinders our future! And he’s the man who lied to me all these years.”

      “I know, I know!” Rika’s smile fell and her tone sharpened. He had overstepped his boundaries.

      “Tell me why you’re keeping him alive.” Saeran ignored the warning and pushed further. He needed to know why the blind man still breathed, why he had been the one who showed up at the cabin, and why he was not in the cell with the others. “Savior, please tell me.”

      “No,” Her face was suddenly blank again. The moment of danger had passed and something closed off within her eyes. “I have my reasons.”

      “Do you?” Saeran spat, the pink mixture of blood and saliva blending in with the rich crimson of the rug. “Don’t tell me you still have lingering feelings for him.”

      “Now, now…” Rika tilted her head slightly and offered him a smile. “Be careful of what you’re saying to me, Saeran.”

      “With all due respect…” He resisted the urge to back away. His pulse pounded in his skull and he felt sick to his stomach. He swallowed a few times before he could speak again. “I can’t just let him be. He has to pay for his crimes in front of my eyes.”

      “Does he?”

      “He’s the one who put me in all this despair!” Saeran threw his hand out as if to gesture towards the entirety of his life in one violent motion. “I haven’t forgotten a word of what you told me, Savior. If it weren’t for him, Luciel would be dead already for betraying me and Mint Eye would have the paradise we deserve!”

      “He will destroy himself soon.” Rika replied vaguely with a dismissive wave of her hand.

      “Good!” That was pleasant news for the troubled man and definitely something for him to look forward to. “He should!”

      “Yes, his future is already set.” Her gaze moved through Saeran as if he were not in the room with her at all. It was something he was used to. Rika rarely saw anyone. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m sure I did. I’ve seen the future, his future, other futures…”

      “Yes, you have. You’re right.” Of course she was right. The Savior only spoke the truth to him and the other members of the flock. “Luciel and V, they’ll meet their end soon!”

      “Yes, yes.” Rika sounded distracted. “Yes, they will.”

      “Then our everlasting party can begin!” Saeran grew more excited by the second. Years of waiting. Years of preparation. Things had not gone exactly the way they had originally planned, but it was all starting to fall into place. “I believe in you, Savior.”

      “As you should.” Rika’s voice sweetened with her smile. “I would never lead you astray, Saeran.”

      “Savior…” Saeran excitement fizzled away to be replaced with wary trepidation. As kind and generous as she was, he had already pushed her quite a bit on a day filled with more action than Mint Eye was used to. “I know I’ve asked a lot from you already…”

      “I’m tired.” The Savior gracefully rose from her throne.

      “Savior, you’ll give me another miracle, right?” He threw the question at her quickly before she could leave the room. “And about the Angel, about Morrigan…”

      “Saeran.” She held up a slender hand to silence him, clearly uninterested in anything else he had to say. “Let’s talk later.”

      “Wait, Savior.” Saeran needed to get his request out before he lost the courage to ask. “Just hear me out real quickly, please.”

      “Make it quick then.” Rika stopped at the top of the stairs and clasped her hands in front of him. She looked down at him, her eyes cold and impatient.

      “Once the Angel is welcomed back into the fold, I’d like to be able to keep her.” His cheeks heated beneath the Savior’s gaze and he fidgeted with a loose thread on the sleeve of his oversized coat. Rika raised an eyebrow and he stumbled over his words. “I-I want her to be my assistant. My… Mine. I don’t want anyone else to have her.”

      “You have a fondness for her.” There was the faintest hint of surprise in her voice. “You wish for her to be your partner?”

      “I, uh… I don’t know…” Fondness? Was that what he felt towards his Angel? He could not be sure since his feelings towards here were unlike any he had felt for anyone.

      At this moment, he knew his Angel had been tainted by Saeyoung. He had seen the way she looked at him, the way she trusted his lying mouth, and had counted the marks peeking out from beneath the collar of her shirt. It was such a human thing to see on her flesh and Saeran was torn at the memory of them.

      The marks were such a human thing, a reminder of the mortal flesh Morrigan walked in. They were beautiful on her and he craved the chance to leave his own marks on her beautiful, pale flesh. At the same time he hated those marks, knowing that his brother was the one to leave them on her.

      No one was worthy enough to touch her, but if she were his partner then he could and no one else would dare to touch her or take her away from him.

      “I know I have no right…” He suddenly spoke, more certain of what he was requesting. “But yes. I want her to be my partner.”

      “I will consider it.” Her tone was final as she descended down the steps. “We’ll talk about this later, Saeran.”


	48. Surprise Assistance

      Footsteps echoed against the stone walls of the dungeon, softly punctuated by an accompanying light tapping. The shadow of their visitor stretched tall over the cell as a man stopped. He coughed delicately to get the occupants of the cell’s attention.

      “V…” Morrigan was the first to respond to the man’s presence. She left Saeyoung’s side and approached the cell. “What the hell are you doing here?”

      “How are you guys holding up? V looked different without the large glasses that hid his eyes. They were a faint blue with a jagged mark distorting what was once likely beautiful eyes. “Saeyoung, how’s your injury?”

      “Gee, we’re locked in a little dank cell in the basement of a wacko cult.” Morrigan’s smile was bitter and her tone too sweet to be sincere. “What do you think, V?”

      “Why are you here?” Saeyoung forced himself to his feet and crossed the cell to stand at Morrigan’s side. He gripped the iron bars to hold himself up as he glared at the man.

      “Saeyoung, here you are…” V reached through the bars to where he had heard the younger man, but the red-head recoiled. Swallowing hard, V pulled his hand back and reached into his pocket. “Take this and call Jumin.”

      “Oh, a phone!” Vanderwood abandoned what they were working on in the corner and rushed to the cell door. “Aren’t you on the queen bee’s side? What are you doing here offering us a phone?”

      “There’s not much battery left.” V continued to hold the mobile phone through the bars until someone took it from his fingers. “So you’ll have to hurry.”

      “This is…” Saeyoung examined the phone. He eyed the markings on it and even opened up the back to peer underneath the battery. After a moment he put it back together. “This is the phone you gave me before. The sensors won’t be able to catch it.”

      “That’s good.” Vanderwood reached for the phone but Saeyoung was hesitant to hand it over. “We need to access the RFA server and let that powerful man know where we are so he can come save us.”

      “We can’t trust him.” Saeyoung’s eyes moved from the phone to V. There was still a part of him that desperately wished to believe there was good in the man he once looked up to. “After everything… this could just be a trap.”

      It felt so complicated to see V offering them something that could lead to their rescue after leading them into this hell in the first place. Years of lies unravelling and now Saeyoung, who once thought he knew V well, now had no idea what the man was thinking.

      “Saeyoung…” Morrigan’s fingers were hot in contrast to the icy cold of Saeyoung’s hand. His gaze found hers and she offered him a smile. “We should at least try. Time is of the essence and we haven’t figured out another way.”

      “Is that what you really think?” Saeyoung searched her eyes. After what seemed like an eon he sighed. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

      “So devoted.” Vanderwood commented as they watched the couple’s exchange. “Or would whipped be the better word for that?”

      “Right, because Mr. Forever Alone would know.” Morrigan shot the ex-agent an unamused look. “Watch it, maid, or I’ll start whipping you too.”

      “Anyway,” Saeyoung cleared his throat and levelled his eyes on V’s, wishing he could read what the man was thinking. It was so hard to try to discern anything with the blankness of the unseeing eyes in front of him. “Before we take this risk and use that phone. I need to hear your excuse.”

      “Okay…” V sighed and leaned against his cane, seemingly resolute in the interrogation. “There’s no use hiding anything now, is there? Ask me anything and I’ll do my best to answer.”

      “Right…” Turning to Morrigan, he thrust the phone into her hand and leaned in close. “Hold onto this. Don’t let Vanderwood grab it and do anything just yet, okay?”

      “Sure.” She closed her fingers around the phone and held it to her chest.

      “Ehhh, where’s the trust?” The brunette frowned as they dropped onto the hard cell bench.

      “Do I need to remind you that you had us surrounded by agents and only sided with me because I promised you a new identity?” He waited a moment to hear no response from Vanderwood before returning the whole of his attention to V. “You and Rika… What are you two doing?”

      “I…” V closed his eyes for a moment, pain etched over his face. “Rika did nothing wrong. She made the wrong decisions because of the world I showed her. Mint Eye, Magenta and this everlasting party… She did nothing wrong.”

      “So you brainwashed her?” That was the first explanation he could think of. The Rika he once knew would have have been so cold. Her eyes were vibrant, not empty and devoid of warmth like they were in that throneroom.

      “I don’t know if that’s the right way to put it, but it’s true that this is all because of me.” That was not an answer, but V’s shoulders slumped under the weight of his guilt. “I know saying sorry isn’t enough, but I am sorry. I’m sorry that Saeran and everyone got involved in this. I never wanted-”

      “It’s too late to apologise.” Saeyoung cut him off, his tone colder than before. The guilt and shame in V’s voice sounded real, but it scraped raw the wounds in Saeyoung’s soul.

      “I know, but I believe that Rika can be like she was before.” V could not disguise the desperate need in his voice. “If she returns to normal, Saeran may return to you then!”

      “That’s so hopeful.” Morrigan’s tone was flat as her level of belief in Rika’s rehabilitation. She had seen far too much to imagine there was hope for Rika.

      Saeran may still be reachable, but she highly doubted Rika could be pulled from the pits of madness she had fallen into.

      “A year ago you told us Rika killed herself.” Saeyoung pointed out the obvious lie. “Was that your idea? To tell everyone that bullshit?”

      “It was.” V admitted. “Telling the truth and involving everyone in this was too dangerous. So I lied and claimed she died to try to distance the RFA from her.”

      “How do I know you’re not trying to trick us again?” The heaviest question and one with no real answer.

      “Hmm, well, he’s blind.” Vanderwood sized up the lanky male and grinned. “And he’s alone. It’d be a piece of cake to take him down if we need to.”

      “I’m getting whiplash from this.” Morrigan could not get a bead on her own emotions in this mess. Her fear for Saeyoung’s life, her terror at being trapped by Mint Eye, and everything else was crowding in her skull. There was no instinct pulling her in any particular direction. The only thing she thought she could feel towards V was pity. “You showed up at the cabin with the disciples to get us, revealing yourself to be a… double agent. Now you’re offering to help and expect us to believe that you’re a double-double agent?”

      “I don’t think that’s a thing, girl.” Vanderwood commented with a hint of amusement in their tone.

      “Exactly!” Her hand went to her hair, yanking through the tangled purple mass in frustration. Driven restless by the questions still unanswered she began to pace and switched the mobile phone to her other hand to wiggle the aching digits. “It’s this complicated mess of wibbily-wobbily insane bullshit.”

      “Saeran called in your location.” V’s gentle voice made Morrigan pause. “You would’ve gotten caught without me. I had to play the bad guy to earn Rika’s trust so I could talk to her.”

      “So…” Vanderwood leaned against the iron bars and looked at their ex partner and the man on the other side of their prison. “Are we just unluckily in the middle of some couple’s fight?”

      “Not exactly.” Morrigan answered without really thinking. “This is… definitely more complicated than that.”

      “Rika is the kind person you always knew, Saeyoung.” V insisted, not seeing the incredulous look Morrigan sent his way. Either the blind man was lying through his teeth or he was delusional, because the Savior was hardly sweet. She had to bite her tongue to keep from cutting in. “Rika was… sick long before she met me. Paranoia and depression and looking at my photographs and helping others was kind of therapeutic for her.”

      “It obviously worked like a charm.” The biting words slipped free of Morrigan despite Morrigan’s attempt to hold them back.

      “Her sickness ran too deep.” V turned to where her voice had come from, but ended up gazing over her shoulder. “She never showed it to anyone and was so desperate to keep it hidden. Even Jumin never noticed.”

      “But she got worse, didn’t she?” Morrigan pressed him for more answers. The Rika she knew was nothing like the Rika the RFA members described.

      “Yes. Ever since the second party, more so after her dog Sally died, her anxiety took her over and she got worse.” The old memories pulled up pain and wounds that never healed for V. He inhaled sharply and pressed onward. “She came up with this scenario about saving everyone and when we fought about it, she left me.”

      “And you split up because of this insane cult.” Vanderwood summarised with a raised eyebrow. “Lame.”

      “And when did Saeran get involved?” It had been over six years since Saeyoung left his brother and joined the intelligence agency under V’s advice. That was six years his brother’s well-being was unaccounted for. He had to know how many years of this cult mess he was dealing with and how much damage he had to help his brother get past.

      “I don’t know so I can’t tell you.” Once again there was an apology in his voice. “I think… after the second party, when someone first tried to hack into the apartment’s security, that’s when I first noticed it. So, probably at least as far back as then.”

      “That was…” Saeyoung’s grip tightened on the iron bar as a wave of dizziness hit him. He let his head fall against the cell door and took a deep breath. “That means I made the special security system to stop my own brother…”

      “At that point Rika had already set the blueprints for Mint Eye and was trying to acquire the guest information of our previous party without having you notice.” It was not quite confirmation but it was enough. “She used Saeran to hack in with the goal of taking all of the info at once.”

      “How long?” Saeyoung growled. “How long has he been exploited like this? A year or two isn’t long enough to become that sufficient!”

      V had no answer for him and Saeyoung’s anger grew.

      “What the hell were you two doing! You told me to trust you and pushed me to leave!” His hand left the bars and grabbed V’s collar. “You have no idea how hard it was to leave Saeran. What the hell were you doing?”

      “I’m sorry.”

      “That will never be enough. I won’t ever forgive you.” He yanked on collar, sending the man stumbling face first into the iron bars. “Even if you never planned this to happen. I won’t forgive you.”

      “Saeyoung!” Morrigan laid her hand against her boyfriend’s forearm. Even if he was using his good arm, he was already scarily pale. Now was not the time for him to be getting worked up and violent. “Calm down, please. I get that you’re mad, and you have every right to be, but you’re too hurt for this.”

      “I’ll be fine, Morri.” He yanked again and V slammed once more into the bars. “You, however… What are you going to do? Turn everything back! Ha! All of this pain, all of this suffering. It’s all your fault, all because of you! I’ll never forgive you.”

      “It’s all my fault.” V accepted the punishment Saeyoung doled out without complaint. Blood dripped down his chin from where his lip had split from his last impact with the bars, but he made no moves to wipe it away or defend himself.

      “We were innocent, V, and you two just used us. You and that blasted Savior.” He dropped V’s collar only to wrap his fingers around the tall man’s throat. “I’m going to do everything I possibly can to destroy you both!”

      “Seven, don’t!” Vanderwood’s plea went unheard. “Not now!”

      “I understand how you feel…” Morrigan’s hand slid to Saeyoung’s wrist and pressed down on the joint with enough pressure to make his eyes turn to her. “You have to think of yourself and stop, please. Vengeance isn’t worth throwing your life away for.”

      It felt like an eon passed before Saeyoung’s grip loosened. He pulled his hand away and stepped back. His eyes were hot with emotion as he watched V gasp and suck in much needed oxygen. Morrigan slid her arms around Saeyoung’s waist, tucking into his side, and he took comfort in her steady warmth.

      “Why Morrigan and Maria? Why’d Mint Eye want to use them?” The questions came out with the memory of the brand burned into Morrigan’s hip. The nightmares that had her sweating, tossing in turning in her sleep. “This whole Angel bullshit. Why?”

      “I… I don’t know.” V’s voice was rough from the strangulation and he coughed to clear his throat. “When they first showed up in messenger, I knew that Rika had something to do with it. Her apartment, the guest information, new members…”

      “Yet you didn’t say anything.”

      “No. I was certain that they would have been in danger if I didn’t accept them into the RFA.” It was clearly something that V had not been willing to risk. “I didn’t know anything about them aside from the information you shared with me until more recently. The whole Angel thing… I don’t know much about it aside from the fact that the disciples think they’re some kind of holy creatures.”

      “So we’re not any closer to figuring out the whole Angel mess.” Morrigan was not surprised. “Okay, so why did Saeran start attacking the RFA? If he wanted the information, they could have asked us to grab it.”

      “Mint Eye was after all of the RFA members. Saeran’s actions… I’m not sure, but I think he overstepped a few times.” V knelt down and felt for his cane. At some point during his assault it had fallen. Eventually his fingers brushed against it and he grabbed it. “Rika wanted to prove me wrong and try to absorb all the members to Mint Eye, but that plan has failed.”

      “Wait, wait, wait.” Vanderwood held up a hand, forgetting that V could not see. “Not that I don’t mind the flood of information, how do you know what’s going on here? I thought you and the queen bee were on the outs so how do you know this much?

      “’On the outs’ is accurate enough.” With his cane in hand V straightened. “For a while now I’ve been disguising myself as a disciple and stayed here to acquire information.”

      “That’s why we couldn’t reach you a lot of the time…” That was another mystery wrapped up, neatly explaining the number of times V disappeared without any reliable way to contact him.

      “Now the mystery is solved.” The tall brunette leaned against the wall, crossing their arms over their chest.

      “I don’t know about that but…” Saeyoung sighed and rubbed Morrigan’s side, feelings his fingers warm slightly from her body heat. Her eyes rose to his, filled with concern, but he had no words to comfort her. “I just… Knowing more won’t change anything, unless there’s a way to change Saeran back to the way he was.”

      “If Rika changes back to her old self, I think there’s a possibility Saeran will realise the truth.” V looked as if he really wanted to believe it. “Then he might return to you.”

      “It won’t be that simple, V.” Morrigan’s mutter had an immediate effect on V, dropping a weight on the man’s shoulders and throwing a dark cloud over his head. Despite everything, she felt bad for that. “But hey, it would help.”

      “How are you going to change the queen bee’s mind then?” Vanderwood broke the heavy silence that had dominated the dungeon.

      “I’ll let her destroy me until she is satisfied.” V answered resolutely. “That should be enough.”

      “I don’t exactly know what you mean…” Morrigan bit the inside of her cheek. Nothing about that sounded like a good thing. “Isn’t that dangerous? She’s not in a sane state of mind.”

      “Don’t worry about me.” V shrugged as if offering himself up to an insane woman for some kind of twisted torture that could very likely lead to his death. “Contact Jumin and get out of here.”

      No one spoke as he moved away from their prison cell. His footsteps and the light tapping of his cane receded, leaving the imprisoned trio in tense silence. Morrigan led Saeyoung back to the bench and made him sit as she checked his wound again. It had opened up in the excitement so she handed the phone off to Vanderwood and pressed down on the wound in hopes to stop the bleeding.

      “I feel so complicated after hearing all of that…” Saeyoung admitted as he gazed at the spot where V had stood. “He might still be lying, but…”

      “We don’t have much of a choice, do we?” They did not. Saeyoung’s wound needed to be seen by a doctor and the loss of blood had him unhealthily pale. That on top of the lack of food meant he would only grow weaker. Morrigan’s stomach was already feeling the pangs of hunger and she was used to not eating, so she could only imagine how hungry they were. “We have to trust him for now.”

      “Yeah. I have to save you first, so we have to escape.” Saeyoung smiled up at her and her heart swelled with affection. He was in rough shape because of the gunshot wound, but was more worried for Morrigan’s well-being than his own.

      “Dude, worry about yourself too…” She kissed his forehead. “My knight, my captain, my god, and my dearest love.”

      “Guys, I’m right here.” Forgotten by the couple, Vanderwood cleared their throat. The brunette’s cheeks pinkened when they turned to stare at them.

      “Vanderwood, turn on the phone.” Saeyoung motioned to the mobile phone that lay forgotten in the ex-agents grasp. Vanderwood crossed the cell to settle down on the bench beside the red-head so he could see the screen. “Right, access my personal server IP first…”

      “Sure, sure.” The agent’s fingers began to move over the keyboard, following Saeyoung’s instructions. There should be enough time to do whatever Saeyoung wanted to do on his server and contact Jumin. Hopefully.


	49. Tomatoes

      “In a recent press conference, government officials have denied all documents released by the intelligence agency GFX. Sources say the documents were fabricated by a single man who has been taken into the custody and is undergoing treatment for extreme paranoia.” The reporter paused to shuffle the paper in front of her. “The government has officially stated that none of the released documents will be accepted as viable evidence in court.”

      “Well, that settles that.” Zen hit a button on the remote and the television turned black. He tossed the remote onto the table and settled back against the soft cushions of his couch. “It’s no surprise they’re covering their tracks.”

      “And we’re all expected to believe their lame excuses.” Maria settled into his side and sighed. “I hope they didn’t cuff some innocent to cover their asses, because that would really suck.”

      “Who knows.”

      The mobile phones on the table chirped simultaneously and the couple stiffened. It was not until they chirped a second time that they moved. Maria leaned forward, hating how her hand shook as she retrieved her phone.

      “Is it…”

      “It’s V.” Maria blinked down at the short messages sent by the ex-RFA leader. “It’s… coordinates and an SOS?”

      “But… Wasn’t V blocked from the messenger?” Zen hunched over the phone to confirm what his girlfriend said. V had logged in, left the short messages, and logged out. No explanation. “The coordinates look complete…”

      “Morri and Seven saw V at Mint Eye, didn’t they?” Maria swallowed thickly as she checked through the older chats to find the original one. The partial coordinates Seven gave seemed to be nearly the same, if not the exact same, to the first half of the ones V said. “Zen… Mint Eye has them.”

      “Are you sure?”

      “Positive.” She swallowed thickly as she switched over the text messages and shot a text to Jaehee to ask if she and Jumin had see V’s message. “I think the coordinates might be where they are…”

      “Then that’s great. Jumin can go there and bring them home!” Zen’s smile was so wide and hopeful that it made Maria smile.

      “Yeah, I guess so.” She glanced down at her phone to see that she had she received a message from Jaehee confirming that she and Jumin had seen the message and were already on the move, preparing to travel to the location. “Jumin’s going… I hope he’s not walking into a trap.”

      “V wouldn’t do that.” He protested with a frown. “Even with everything that’s come out… I can’t believe he’d do that.”

      “I don’t think he would either… Not after that goodbye, but he might not have sent that SOS.” She tossed the phone onto the table. “Best case scenario is that Seven sent it or V sent it to help Morri and Seven. Worst case scenario is some cultist or V sent it to lead Jumin into a trap.”

      “Let’s hope for the best case scenario.” He rubbed her arm gently. “By this time tomorrow Jumin will have gotten them all out of that place and safely home, just wait and see.”

 

#

 

      “It’s been about two hours since we sent the message, right?” Vanderwood was fidgeting with a button on their coat and nervously watching the walkway outside of their cell. “You don’t think something will happen before Mr. Rich and Powerful comes for us, do you? God… My only wish before I die is to smoke a cig.”

      “Have some more faith in Jumin.” Morrigan was half asleep, her head resting on Saeyoung’s lap and her legs dangling over the edge of the bench. How she was comfortable in such a position was anyone’s guess. “He’ll be here. It’s just going to take a while. The city’s several hours away.”

      “Seven, what did you do after hacking into the server? I saw you writing in some weird script.” Vanderwood turned their attention to Saeyoung who slowly opened his eyes. “You know, I’ve been an agent for nearly a decade but I’ve never seen anything like that. Where’d you learn it?”

      “I didn’t learn it anywhere. I created the language myself.” He answered with a weak but proud smile. “It’s the calling command for the robot cat.”

      “Really?” Vanderwood’s surprise was clear and their eyes widened as they looked down at Saeyoung. After the years they had been partners, Vanderwood had thought they knew him fairly well, but he kept surprising them with every turn. “You created your own language?”

      “My man’s a genius.” Morrigan yawned as she sat up and stretched to ease the tension in her muscles. “No need to sound so surprised.”

      “Food delivery!” A feminine voice drew their attention to the cell door in time to see a tiny white cat step through the space between the bars.

      “Meowy!” Hopping up, Morrigan rushed over to scoop the robot up and cradle it to her chest. “Ahh, how’s my precious little kitty?”

      “Isn’t this the one that spits fire?” The fear in Vanderwood’s voice was almost laughable as they pressed their back against the cell and edged away from the small robotic cat Morrigan cradled. “That’s what you called!”

      “No, no. It’s the dog that spits fire.” Saeyoung smiled at the cat which seemed to sit up a little straighter under the attention. “Great job, robot cat. Can’t believe you got here without getting caught. I’m really glad I put a lot of care into the evasion algorithm.”

      “What do you have there, Meowy?” Morrigan lifted the cat to see something round and red in it’s mouth. “A tomato?”

      “Analysed the area through the satellites before we left and saw tomatoes growing north of this building.” Saeyoung explained with a shrug. He could barely cover up the wince as the motion made his injured shoulder’s pain wake up.

      “If mistress would set me down meow…” Meowy waited until Morrigan had set it down gently on the bench before turning and opening its mouth wide. One tomato rolled out. “Spitting out tomatoes, meow. Five in total, meow!”

      “Gahh!” Vanderwood cringed as they watched the tomatoes rolled out of the cat’s small body and onto the bench. What little appetite the tall individual had died quickly. “Did it just throw up?”

      “I think this is the most emotion you’ve shown since I met you, Vanny.” Morrigan shot the ex-agent-slash-maid a smirk. “It’s almost cute.”

      “Shut up!”

      “That’s it…” Saeyoung checked the inside of the cat’s mouth before picking up the biggest tomato and offering it to Morrigan. “I know this probably isn’t what you’d prefer, but eat it please.”

      “Thanks, babe.” Morrigan accepted the tomato and carefully wiped its surface clean with her shirt. He was right in thinking tomatoes were not her preferred meal, but they had gone without food for a while and she was not about to be picky.

      “You’re a strange dude, you know that?” Vanderwood edged closer to snag a tomato. As soon as they had the red plant in their hand, they darted back to the opposite wall. “Who would even think to make something like that? And why tomatoes! You could’ve sent it to bring bandages or even medicine!”

      “There wasn’t enough time and medicine and bandages won’t do us much good if we’re weak from hunger.” Saeyoung snagged a tomato and bit into it. The juices ran down his cheek and he smiled when Morrigan reached up to brush it away with her sleeve. “Robot cat, what are we looking at security wise here?”

      “Three humans are guarding the cells, meow!” The cat reported. “And a woman caught me on the way here!”

      “Uh oh…” Morrigan shared a look with the others before turning her attention back to the cat. “Meowy…Which woman? Did she say anything? What’d she look like?”

      “She didn’t say anything, meow, but she saw.” Meowy answered in her cheerful voice. “Long blond hair! She smiled!”

      “You don’t think…”

      “I knew you were a genius the moment I saw you.” There was no mistaking the voice. Rika descended down the stairs and stopped in front of the cell, hands clasped in front of her and a smile on her face that would have been pleasant from anyone else. “I can’t believe you made this little cat. It’s so impressive.”

      “Her, meow!” The robot cat confirmed their fears.

      “Rika…” Morrigan swallowed, her stomach twisting on the tomato she had fed it.

      “I’m sure you were shocked when you saw Saeran, but you have to admire his loyalty.” Her empty green eyes were locked on Saeyoung. “So loyal he got the Mint Eye logo tattooed on his arm.”

      “What happened to you?” Saeyoung’s quiet question went unheard by the leader of the cult.

      “You have to get one too!” She sounded excited by the prospect. “It’ll be good to be more like Saeran.”

      “Yeah, no, I can’t agree with that.” Morrigan wrapped her arms around herself and swallowed hard to try settling her stomach. “I adore poor Saeran, but he’s not exactly the image of mental health.”

      “Oh, you’ll grow to appreciate him in time.” Rika told her with a dismissive wave. “You’re to be his partner, after all.”

      “Why did you do this to Saeran?” Saeyoung drew her attention back to him. “And what’s this noise about her being his partner? They’re not staying here!”

      “I saved him, just like I’ll save you too.” Rika tilted her head a little as she studied him. “It’ll take time to make sure your brain is happy and you’ll need to go through… a certain process. It won’t be easy, but Saeran went through it too. You’ll all be happy here.”

      “Who said you could do that to my brother? And Morrigan too!” The redhead surged towards the bars and reached for her, but Rika calmly stepped back.

      “Yet you can forgive Morrigan?” Rika questioned. “My Angel, sent to infiltrate the RFA. A part of Mint Eye all along.”

      “It wasn’t a choice she made.” Saeyoung’s voice grew cold and dangerous. “Mint Eye did this to her. She never would’ve been a part of your insane cult if she had a choice.”

      “Oh, but she did!” The blonde’s giggle sent shivers down the backs of the prisoners. “She and her sister both came willingly.”

      “You’re lying.” Morrigan cringed at how weak her voice sounded. “Shut the fuck up and stop telling lies.”

      “Am I lying?” Rika’s eyes slid past Saeyoung to lock on her. “After the death of your parents, you and Maria came willingly to us. You threw yourselves at my feet and begged for the happiness Mint Eye offered. You volunteered to be torn apart and remade as Angels.”

      “Lies!” She slammed her hands over her ears to drown out Rika’s voice. “There’s no way, no fucking way I’d ever do that!”

      “But you did. ‘I can’t bear to live like this,’ is what you said to me.” She was giddy in delight to see the younger woman’s torment. “It took so long to transform you and your sister and, in the end, you forgot all about everything that came before - didn’t you? But that was okay. You were pure of the life you lived before Mint Eye and blessed with knowledge from paradise.”

      “Lies, lies, lies.” Her insides recoiled in disgust at the idea. Tears streamed down her cheeks and bile rose in her throat. She barely kept her meagre meal down. “I don’t believe you. You’re just a lying, crazy bitch!”

      “Shut up.” Saeyoung’s voice was low but firm, drawing Rika’s attention back to him. Once upon a time he admired Rika and looked up to her, but now he hated her with every fibre of his being. “None of what you say about her matters at all. Whether she willingly joined Mint Eye or not isn’t important.”

      “Ahh, perhaps not.” Rika’s smile grew wider. “It’ll be great to have you join us, Saeyoung. To have a full set of twins in our group, in our happy family.”

      “Stop involving innocent people in this.” V’s voice sounded from the shadowed stairs.

      “Oh, I forgot about you.” The words were casual and meant to sting. Rika glanced towards him with a bored expression on her face.

      “Involving more people won’t make things better. You’ll only feel more and more empty.” V’s cane tapped gently against the stairs as he made his way down them. “You already know this.”

      “Empty?” She chewed thoughtfully on the word before shaking her head. “No, you’re quite wrong. I don’t feel empty at all. Bringing these people into Mint Eye will only be a blessing.”

      “That’s not true at all.” V sighed and shook his head. “There’s no joy to come from this.”

      “What should I do with you?” Shifting away from that subject, Rika tilted her head and tapped her finger against her cheek. Her smile was gone. “I don’t have any plans to include you. Mint Eye doesn’t need you, so maybe… Maybe I’ll just use you to implant fear into everyone and then throw you away like the garbage you are.”

      “As I’ve said before…” V lowered his head. “You can do with me as you please.”

      “It has nothing to do with me. I’m making the decision for everyone else, for my beloved flock.” The smile returned to her face, brighter than ever but still it did not reach her eyes. “Let’s see how long you stay so confident. It’ll be such a fun event breaking you to pieces.”


	50. Ceremony

      With a sharp request for V to follow, Rika left the dungeon. She had made no move to take the robotic cat from them nor did she take their remaining tomatoes. She had promised to see them again soon and left them alone in the dim, dank cell to fret over what she had planned next.

      “Saeyoung…” Morrigan spoke from the corner she had retreated to after Rika’s departure. She had curled up in a ball with her arms wrapped around her legs until long after the tears ran dry and her body began to cramp from being in that position for too long. “Do you think… that maybe she was telling the truth? About me?”

      “Maybe she was.” Saeyoung knelt in front of her and brushed the hair out of her face so he could see her eyes. “You don’t remember much from before Mint Eye, do you?”

      “No. It’s all bits and pieces, holes where memories should be.” She sucked in a breath of air and slowly exhaled. “It’s been getting better. I’m remembering more, but sometimes I get the feeling that my memories might be wrong.”

      “Sucks.” Understatement of the century, but the smile Morrigan gave him let Saeyoung know she appreciated it. “Don’t worry about it too much. We’ll figure that all out later.”

      “But… What if she’s right about me joining Mint Eye willingly?”

      “It doesn’t matter if you did.” Saeyoung gently pried her fingers loose and tugged her legs straight. Knowing that she had to be aching, he used his good arm to gently rub the kinks out of her calf. “She said it was after your parents death. You were hurting and she took advantage of that. You’re not the same person you were then.”

      “Y-yeah, you’re right.” The smile she offered him was a bit stronger. “No matter what happened in the past, I’m Mint Eye’s enemy now.”

      “Exactly.” He gave her calf a gentle squeeze. “And you and are are going to take them down.”

      “Chopped liver, right over here.” Vanderwood’s grumble went ignored by the couple. “Right, keep on making doe eyes at each other. Yup, just like that. Definitely helpful.”

      “You’re just jealous that you don’t have a lover.” Morrigan peeked over at the uncomfortable brunette and stuck her tongue out at them. “Don’t worry! Maybe after this is all done and over with I’ll play matchmaker! I know a lovely single lady you might adore.”

      “Don’t even think about it.” They rejected the idea with a frown.

      “Oh, maybe you don’t like girls.” She turned to Saeyoung who was smiling at her. “Does Vanderwood like girls? Or boys?”

      “Vanderwood likes cigarettes and clean houses.” He turned to sit on the ground beside her so he could stare at his ex-partner. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Morri?”

      “That Pluto is still a planet and the heart on it is the cutest thing?” She bit back a laugh as Vanderwood rolled their eyes.

      “Exactly.” Saeyoung laughed as he pulled Morrigan close and planted a kiss on her lips. “You, my dear, are out of this world. The light in the dark.”

      The momentary peace did not last. The group settled into quiet melancholy as they finished off the remaining tomatoes. There was no way of really knowing how much time had passed since they used V’s phone to contact Jumin. The phone’s battery had died and there was no window or clock to help mark the passage of time.

      It gave them plenty of time to over think their crappy situation.

      The cultists came for them before Jumin did. Men and women with smiling faces bound their arms behind their backs and marched them out of the cell. They were taken back through the winding halls once more and brought back to the throneroom they all hoped to never see again.

      Rika sat on her throne overlooking the flock that had gathered around her in a semi-circle split to allow the captives room to be seen by everyone at the foot of the stairs leading up to Rika’s throne. The lights were low and incense hung heavy in the air, casting an atmospheric spell over the setting.

      “Ahh, our guests of honour have arrived.” Rika stood and spread her arms wide as if she were going to embrace them.

      “Guide the sinners to heaven through the holy cleanse!” The flock spoke as one and Morrigan shuddered in horror. “For Mint Eye’s everlasting paradise!”

      “It looks like they’ve been preparing for this for some time…” Saeyoung was swaying in place, barely able to stand on his own feet as he took in the robed mass watching them.

      “Probably has been…” Morrigan tugged at the robes binding her but they held tight. “This isn’t good. The cleanse… It’s really bad.”

      “Seven, you’re not looking so hot.” Vanderwood eyed the redhead. Aside from barely being able to stand on his own, he was frighteningly pale. “How the hell are you even managing to stand in that state? Damn it… Please tell me someone saw the SOS we left in the messenger.”

      “I’m sure they did.” Saeyoung knew that the RFA members were keeping an eye on the chat. He was certain that someone had seen and that Jumin was on his way. “It’s a five hour drive by car for him to get here.”

      “It’s been like… three hours, right? You’re telling me we have to wait for two more hours?” Vanderwood was not pleased by their chances, especially with the cult surrounding them. “Will we still be alive then?”

      “We’ll be alive.” Morrigan shot Vanderwood a glare, pretending to believe in her own words. She felt the phantom pain of her brand and knew that her nightmares were only the tip of the iceberg of what awaited them. She survived it once before and knew she would survive it a second time, but Saeyoung was in no condition. “We just… we have to be. We just have to hold on as long as we can no matter what they throw at us.”

      “Morri, I’ll do my best to stall time…” Saeyoung pulled against his bindings, wishing he could touch her but the knots were too tight. “Please, just stay safe until Jumin gets here.”

      “Right back at ya, babe.” She offered him a smile in an attempt to ease his fears.

      “For everlasting paradise.” Rika’s voice carried out over the crowd. The robed cultists cheered and repeated the phrase, making it impossible for Morrigan to communicate with Vanderwood or Saeyoung.

      “Mint Eye!” The crowd cheered.

      “Yes, Mint Eye!” Rika clasped her hands in front of her and the crowd quieted immediately. “We will now begin the entering ceremony for our new disciples.”

      A hand pressed into Morrigan’s back and she stumbled forward, nearly tripping over the steps leading to Rika’s canopied throne.

      “We celebrate the return of one of our Angels and the two souls brought with her. Soon we will cleanse them of all the unnecessary knowledge acquired in the outside, contaminated world, and welcome them fully as members of our happy family.” Rika’s smile was wide as she gazed down at Morrigan, Saeyoung, and Vanderwood, but it disappeared as V was brought forward. “But before that we must proceed with the cleansing ceremony for this arrogant sinner.”

      “V…” The man did not look their way. Instead his attention was completely focused on the woman addressing the cord.

      “What will happen to him?” Even with Vanderwood behind her, Morrigan could make out their hushed voice.

      “I’m not sure, but from what I know they put their own through… It’s not going to be pretty.” Morrigan did not want to know.

      “This is all for our everlasting paradise, for our never-ending party!” Rika proclaimed and the crowd cheered.

      “Savior!” The crowd’s cheers quieted to displeased murmurs as Saeran forced his way through them. “You told me you wouldn’t accept Luciel as a disciple! Why is he here now? Why is he part of this entrance ceremony?”

      “Because she’s a liar.” Morrigan muttered. Saeran stiffened and shot her a look she could not read.

      “I’ve told you that Saeyoung will be a great asset to Mint Eye.” Rika answered gently before motioning for him to move. “Don’t interrupt the ceremony again. Leave.”

      “But… You chose me instead of him, remember? You said I had greater potential. I can be greater!”

      “Saeran…” Rika’s patience seemed to be running short rapidly. Her expression grew tense and her body stiffened. “You never defeated him no matter how many chances you had. It’s time for you to learn how to accept your failures.”

      “But my revenge… You promised me. You promised me that I’ll get my revenge.” Saeran balled his hands into fists, digging his nails into his palms. His voice sharpened and pitched higher. “I’ve risked my life to get him here, but you’re inviting him to our everlasting party? After everything!”

      “Saeran, you would be wise to be silent.” The blond lifted her chin higher, her eyes going dark with warning.

      “Hey, this is kind of good.” Vanderwood commented softly, eyes locked on the drama playing out in front of them. “Sucks that it’s involving your brother, but he’s inadvertently stalling for time right now.”

      “Vanderwood…” Saeyoung edged closer to the brunette. “Untie the thing on my arm.”

      “We were going to use that when someone comes to save us…” Yet when Saeyoung kneeled down Vanderwood turned to work on the knot. “Luciel, are you really okay?”

      “I’ll be fine… Just… untie it…” He bit his lip against the pain as Vanderwood’s fingers clumsily worked the knot. “I can’t… let them hurt…”

      “How foolish you still are, Saeran.” Rika shook her head with a disappointed sigh. “It’s fine though. Sometimes we must get rid of rotten leaves for new ones to grow.”

      “You told me I could have my revenge. Do you mean for me to be happy with him here?” Saeran talked with his hands, swinging them around to motion towards Saeyoung and nearly hit Morrigan in the process. She sidestepped the motion and nearly tripped over her own feet. “You told me what he did. You told me he betrayed me! He has no right to be happy!”

      “You’ve never been happy here.” Morrigan kept her voice low, hoping that Rika could not hear her. “This place is only a lie.”

      “You’ve done a wonderful job bringing Luciel here and you will be rewarded.” A smile spread over her face. “Remember that Mint Eye wants a greater and more beautiful future. One that you can’t quite see, but you will in time.”

      “I don’t need a reward. I don’t need lies.” Saeran’s sharp-edged voice bounced off the walls and his movements were growing more violent. “This is wrong. Letting Luciel live is betraying my faith! Betraying everything you promised me!”

      “Disciple.” With a graceful movement of her hand, Rika waved a robed individual forward.

      “Yes, Savior!” The cultist, a man judging by the depth of his voice, scurried forward at her beckon. “What can I do for you?”

      “Just look at him! His arm’s going to be completely useless. He won’t be able to use it anymore!” Desperately he motioned to Saeyoung, but Rika did not listen. “He’s useless! Get rid of him! Our paradise will only come once he’s gone!”

      “Take Saeran away.” Rika ordered the disciple. “It appears he needs to be brainwashed again.”

      “What?” Saeran’s arms dropped to his side at Rika’s words. His Savior, the one who pulled him from the hell of his mother’s house and brought him to Mint Eye, was wanting him brainwashed?

      “Yes, madam.” The cultist was all to happy to carry out his Savior’s command. He turned to grab at Saeran but Morrigan blocked him. Her shoulder slammed into his chest and sent him sprawling onto the stairs.

      “Don’t you dare touch him!” Morrigan kicked at the man who yelped in pain.

      Surprised and confused, Saeran blindly backed up. The crowd moved around him, letting him put his wall to a back as they circled him. In the distraction Vanderwood had finished using a jagged piece of rock that had been hidden in Saeyoung’s bandaging to saw the ropes around the redhead’s wrist.

      “You’re not taking him!” Saeyoung forced his way through the crowd and threw himself in front of Saeran. Panting from exertion and pressing against his wound with a bloodstained hand, he looked as if he would fall over at any moment. It was the wild look in his eyes that made the cultists hesitate. “No this time!”

      “Move out of the way.” A cloaked female dared to step forward. Her hand rose to reach for Saeran but flinched back when Saeyoung glared at her.

      “No… Don’t take my brother… Stop all of this…” Saeyoung pressed down harder against his wound to keep the black from taking over his vision. “If you touch him… I’m going to… I’ll destroy every last one of you.”

      “You dare to block me!?” Turning his confusion and angry onto the man in front, Saeran shrieked at his brother. “You dare!”

      “Stop it. Stop doing this to my family!” Saeyoung ignored his brother’s fury and focused on the crowd. Even as weak as he was, he would rather die than let them take Saeran from him again. “Saeran… please. Let’s go home.”

      Whatever else Saeyoung was attempting to say became quiet and disorderly as the black overtook his vision. The ground rose up quickly as he crumbled at his brother’s feet.

      “Saeyoung?” At the back of the small crowd Morrigan tried to see past the cultists. She had heard him, she had heard him fall, and terror seized her heart. “Saeyoung! Answer me!”

      “What is this?” Anger temporarily abated, Saeran stared down at his brother. The redhead was pale and his breathing shallow and unsteady. Blood smeared the floor from where he had tried to catch himself.

      “Take them both.” Rika ordered from the raised throne. “Take the injured one to medical and lock the other up!”

      “Yes, madam!” The cultists closest to the twins chimed before they descended onto Saeran who struggled and kicked them away. “Do not resist!”

      “N-no… no…” He reached behind up and whipped a pistol out of its resting place at the small of his back. The cultists screamed and scurried away from the man who waved it at them. Saeran stepped forward, over his brother’s fallen body, and the flock moved faster to stay out of line of his gun. “Stay away from me! All of you! If any of you come near me I’ll shoot!”

      “What’s going on?” V spoke from his forgotten spot near the foot of the stairs. “Rika?”

      “It’s all falling apart.” Morrigan answered in a tense breath as she froze in place. Cultists bumped into her in their desperation to get away from Saeran and the path between her and the twins cleared. She could see Saeyoung behind his brother, down but thankfully still breathing. “Saeran…”

      “My head…” Saeran groaned in pain. One of his hands went to his hair to yank at the locks. “God, it hurts… I feel like my head’s going to explode.”

      “Disciples! Disciples!” Rika’s voice boomed over the panicked crowed, desperately trying to reestablish some sense of calm. “Do not be alarmed! This is only a test given to us for our paradise! Give Saeran the medicine of salvation, now!”

      “Not good, not good.” Morrigan tried to figure out how she could get closer. Saeyoung needed help and Saeran’s withdrawals were getting worse by the moment. Even if he thought of her as his Angel, she could not see how she could approach him right now. “Saeran! Put the gun down! Saeyoung! Please, please wake up!”

      “Don’t come near me. Don’t, don’t, don’t. Just leave me alone.” Saeran screamed as the pain spiked and his gunarm flinched, sending more cultists shrieking in fear. When the young man broke again, he was breathless and his voice was strained with torment. “Savior, there’s no way you’d do this to me, right? You’re the one who saved me and the first to truly love me. All of this… all of this is wrong. You’d never betray me.”

      Morrigan’s gut twisted and her instinct screamed at her to move. Her vision narrowed on the gun and she could taste the gunpowder. She needed to move. She needed to stop something, something bad. Her hair rose at the back of her neck as static sizzled through her body and the rope dropped through her arms to land behind her feet.

      “Saeran, please.” Time was running out. “Please, put down the gun.”

      “No way you’d do this to me.” Morrigan’s words did not reach the crazed male. His gunarm suddenly steadied and his voice became frighteningly calm. He swung his arm to the side and found his target. “But you’ve changed ever since that man came… V, this all happened because of you!”

      “Saeran, no!”

      “If you weren’t here…” Saeran cocked the gun and slid his finger over the trigger. “It’s all because of you that this happened to me!”

      The gunshot was the loudest thing Morrigan had ever heard, but the pain was even greater. Her torso erupted in agony and she dropped to her knees. Teal blossomed with red in front of her and tears blurred her vision.

      “No, no…” Dashing the tears from her eyes, she crawled forward to the man who had fallen. She had messed up. She had not moved fast enough or had made the wrong move. The bullet tore through her and hit him anyways. “Don’t die, don’t die. Please, don’t die.”


	51. Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The final chapter of Digitised Angels.   
> It's been a wild ride.

      “Savior, s-should we get rid of all of them?” A faceless voice from the crowd of cultists spoke, breaking the silence and seeking guidance.

      “Ah…ha… ah…” It was hard to tell if Rika was laughing or not. She stepped down the stairs and dropped to her knees beside V. Pales fingers reached for him, staining red with blood. She held her fingers up, eyes widening at the sight and warmth of the blood.

      Morrigan pressed her hand to her wound to try to slow the blood flow. It hurt to move, but she forced herself to get to her feet. She needed to get to Saeyoung.

      “Rika…” Somehow recognising the woman near him, V weakly called her name and reached for her.

      “Are…” Rika swallowed as her eyes moved past her bloodied fingers to him. “Are-are you leaving?”

      “Don’t cry…” V’s hand found her arm and followed it up to find her face. “Rika…”

      “Are you leaving?” Her hand touched his and she let out a gust of air that half sounded like a sob. “A-answer me.”

      “Angel…” Saeran’s eyes were unfocused as Morrigan approached. He reached for her and his hand touched the bloody one she held to her stomach. “You… You weren’t supposed to get in the way. I ended it, I ended it, but you weren’t supposed to…”

      “Don’t worry about me.” Morrigan reached for his gun and he let her take it without an argument. “You’re right, it’s over now.”

      B-but…” Saeran’s gaze moved past her to focus on V. “I ended it.”

      “Something like that…” Morrigan checked the gun and found the safety. Switching it on she tucked it into her waistband before moving around Saeran to approach Saeyoung’s.

      It was a good thing he was out cold, because he would hate to see her in this state. He would fret over her wound and worry about how dizzy she was becoming and completely ignore the fact that he had been shot ages ago.

      “Saeyoung…” It hurt to kneel down. Pain burst anew in her gut and binary spotted here vision. She hissed out a breath of air and pressed down harder on her wound. With her free hand she carefully turned Saeyoung and felt for a pulse. It was thready, but still there. “No one’s going to die tonight, you hear me? I won’t allow it.”

      Rika screamed. The kind of scream that left a woman breathless and sobbing, throat strained for days. The type of scream that was the closest thing to a truly broken heart given voice.

      “He’s not allowed to die either.” Morrigan touched Saeyoung’s cheek. “I know you’re mad at him, but I couldn’t let anyone die.”

      “Have you lost your mind, woman?” Vanderwood had managed to free themselves and slowly approached his fallen ex-partner and his profusely bleeding girlfriend. “The only thing you’ve done is assure one more death.”

      “This is only a game.” Removing her hand from her wound she stared at it. The blood looked so shiny, so real, but binary was reflected in its surface. Her own pain started to fade as she studied the flickering numbers. “I’m supposed to be an Angel, right? It’s about time I act like one.”

      Morrigan did not know if it would work, but she had no time to let doubts and fear worm into her thoughts. It had to work.

      “No one is going to die today.” She said the phrase, only to repeat it over and over again. The binary spread over her vision and her pain receded. The colours of the world faded away and the binary began twisting. “No one… no one.”

      The binary pulsed in time with her heartbeat, erratic in it’s speed and strength. The ground around her rippled and her hair rose in the electricity that sparked around her. Waves of energy poured out of a her, rapidly gaining speed.

      BANG. BANG. BANG.

      The binary spreading from her took on the new rhythm, slowing but growing more forceful. It reached further and further, rewriting the code it passed.

      BANG. BANG. BANG.

      A shockwave burst free of Morrigan with the final bang, rippling through everything. The binary fled from her vision and she could no longer hold herself up. She fell forward onto Saeyoung and just tried to remember to breath.

      “We’re in, sir, over.” An unfamiliar male voice spoke. He turned commanding in the next moment. “Seize everyone and prepare the helicopter. We’ve got injured here!”

 

#

 

      The first face Morrigan saw she opened her eyes was her sister. Maria was restlessly drumming her fingers against her mobile phone which slipped from her grasp when she realised Morrigan had woken up.

      “Jesus fucking Christ, Morri!” She threw her arms over her and squeezed her tight enough to force the air out of her lungs. “You scared the everliving shit out of me. Jumin said you were here and had a car pick me up and I didn’t know what happened and-”

“I’m fine.” Morrigan managed to wheeze out. She pinched her sister’s side. “Loosen. Air good. Need air.”

      “Sorry.” Maria loosened her grip and frowned. “What happened? That weird brunette didn’t say much. Just grumbled about cigarettes and left while calling you a freak.”

      “Oh, that’s Vanderwood. He’ll grow on you. Maybe. Where’s Saeyoung?” Morrigan sat up and looked around. She was in a private hospital room. “Is he okay?”

      “Saeyoung in the next room, but before you jump out of bed to check on him - don’t. He’s resting.” Maria pushed down on Morrigan’s shoulder and forced her to remain in bed. “He’s been in and out of surgery already. His arm should be fine, but he’s gonna be in physical therapy for a while.”

      “Good.” Morrigan sank back into her pillows with a sigh of relief. “And Saeran?”

      “Saeran’s in the room across the hall.” Maria motioned behind her. “They had to sedate him. He was throwing a fit. He isn’t hurt or anything, but the guy’s a mess in the headspace.”

      “I’m not surprised to hear that. I’ll have to see if they’ll let me talk to him later.” Her hand went to her stomach, remembering the pain of the bullet that tore through her. There was no ache and she could not feel any bandages beneath her thin hospital gown.

      “You’re not hurt.” Noticing where Morrigan’s hand went and the confused look on the older girl’s face, Maria offered her information. “They thought you were, because of the blood, but apparently they were mistaken. They’ve just got you overnight for observation and dehydration.”

      “I was shot.” Morrigan pulled open the front of her hospital gown and peeked down to see faint scarring on her torso that had not been there before. “Good thing weird glitchy thing I did healed it. I wasn’t sure that it would.”

      “What the hell were you thinking?” Maria smacked her sister’s arm, tears filling her eyes. “Going on some insane mission and getting shot. Do you know how worried I’ve been?”

      “Didn’t mean to worry you, but I had to do it.” She smacked her sister’s hand away and grinned. “Don’t cry, I’m good. Takes a lot more than a gun to put me down, apparently.”

      “How’d you get shot anyways?”

      “Saeran was flipping the light fantastic. So I took a bullet trying to save V.” Remembering the teal-haired man, Morrigan sat up straighter. “Wait, how is V? Did he survive?”

      “V? Oh, yeah. He’s alive for now. It’s kind of touch and go, but from what I hear he’ll pull through.” Maria blinked at the sudden show of concern for the ex-leader of the RFA. “Why the fuck would you go and take a bullet for him?”

      “I didn’t want anyone to die.” Morrigan shrugged. “And, honestly, I felt bad for V. He… I don’t like what he did, but no one deserves to die like that.”

      “Well, next time don’t take a bullet for him.” Maria grumbled unhappily. “Next time our freaky-deaky problems might not save you.”

      “Yeah, yeah. I hear you.” But her mind was elsewhere. Morrigan threw the blankets off her legs and slid off the bed. She stretched and felt her bones pop. “I’m going to go find my boo. If he doesn’t see me or Saeran when he wakes up, there might be some drama.”

      “What part of ‘Stay in bed’ did you not understand?” Maria popped out of her chair and rushed over to shove Morrigan back onto the mattress. “He’s resting. The last thing he needs is you playing cuddle-bunny and doodling on his face.”

      “Or that’s exactly what he needs!”

      “You’re hopeless.” She leaned her weight down on Morrigan to pin her to the bed. “Just shut up, settle down, and spend some damn time with me before you go running off, okay? I haven’t seen you in over a week!”

      “Fine, fine.” Morrigan giggled as she patted Maria’s head. “I’ve missed you too. You’ll have to fill me in on all the excitement I missed. Like how the party was and how things are going with you and the guys. Tell me all the things.”

      Urged on by her big sister’s excitement, Maria began to fill her in on everything she had missed. From the success of the party, how much had been raised, what had been served, and any little thing that came to mind. Once the topic went on Zen, Maria’s words slowed as her face heated with a blush - much to Morrigan’s delight.

      Morrigan always did like being able to tease her sister.

 

#

 

 **Maria** : Saeyoung’s doing PT for his shoulder right now so Morri’s up at the hospital with him.  
 **Zen** : So we get a break from her insanity.  
 **Maria** : He’s just grumpy ‘cause she keeps getting between us.  
 **Zen** : T_T  
 **Maria** : She’s a troll. Just deal with it.  
 **Maria** : She’s probably gonna check on Saeran too while she’s up there.  
 **Yoosung** : Has he improved any?  
 **Maria** : I don’t know.  
 **Zen** : They won’t tell me much, but I’m sure they’re doing their best with him.  
 **Yoosung** : I guess.  
 **Yoosung** : I still can’t believe everything that’s happened.  
 **Yoosung** : Any news about Rika?  
 **Jaehee** : The facility she’s at is one of the best in the world.  
 **Jaehee** : But she’s still not up to visitors or calls.  
 **Yoosung** : I can’t believe that she’s been alive this entire time, living in hiding…  
 **Zen** : Yeah…

 

      “I don’t like hiding this from him.” Zen grumbled as he stared down at his phone. So much had happened since Jumin had rescued Morrigan and Saeyoung from Mint Eye headquarters. “About Rika… doesn’t he deserve to know?”

      “He does but… I don’t think he can handle the truth right now.” None of them liked hiding Rika’s connection to Mint Eye from Yoosung, but they all agreed to hold onto that fact for a while longer. The youngest member of their little family was just now getting his life together. News like this could break him.

      “I guess…” Zen sighed and excused himself from the chat before setting his phone aside. He opened his arms to Maria and smiled at her. “Come here, princess. Let’s take advantage of your sister being gone and have some cuddle time.”

      “You’re too needy, Hyun.” Maria laughed as she left the chat and tossed her phone aside. She climbed into his lap and curled up against his chest.

      “Ahh, but you like it.” He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. “I love you.”

      “I love you too.” She giggled softly. “But don’t let it go to your head.”

      “Which one?” His joke was occupied with a teasing hand that slid over her hip to give her thigh a gentle squeeze. “You know… Morrigan’s going to be gone for a few hours…”

      “Uh huh…” Maria shifted to kiss his jawline. “Enough time to let the beast out to play, right?”

      “You read my mind.” He grinned and she squealed when he scooped her up and headed towards the bedroom.

 

#

 

      “Stop whining!” Morrigan frowned at her boyfriend who was less than pleased to be going through the repetitive exercises under the stern eyes of his physical therapist. “You weren’t whining this much when you were shot. You’d think after two months of PT you’d gripe less.”

      “Because being shot didn’t hurt like this does.” Saeyoung pouted as he rotated his arm again under the physical therapist’s instructions. Forward and then backwards. “This sucks.”

      “You’ll lose most of your arm’s function if you don’t work it.” The older man reminded him. “Reach up, as high as you can.”

      “Do I really need both arms?” Saeyoung grunted as he raised his arm only to receive an unamused look from his therapists and lifted it higher. “Ow, ow, ow.”

      “Yeah, you do.” Morrigan leaned back and crossed her legs. She propped her head up with her hands and grinned at him. “So keep working, boy!”

      “I am, I am.” He still grumbled as he went through the motions, much to his girlfriend’s amusement. Eventually the physical therapist patted him on the shoulder and let him know they were done for the day. Saeyoung shot the poor man an evil look as he left.

      “See, that wasn’t so bad.” Morrigan patted the spot beside her. “Come here and lemme kiss it better, you big brat.”

      “Not everyone has freaky abilities.” Saeyoung dropped next to her and rolled into her side to nuzzle her. “Are you absolutely sure I need both arms? Cause I think I manage just fine with the one.”

      “Positive.” She replied with a hint of laughter in her voice. “You’ll need both to hold your twins, after all.”

      “Yeah, that’s true…” Her words sunk in a moment later and he bolted upright, eyes wide with shock. “Wait, rewind and repeat that.”

      “Twins. Your twins.” Morrigan pointed down at her stomach and his eyes followed. “Two. Zwei. Double the trouble. Just had it confirmed with the doc before I came here.”

      “You’re pregnant?” Saeyoung swallowed as a wave of emotion washed over him. “For real? You’re not messing with me here?”

      “This isn’t something I’d joke about.” She reached for his hand and leaned forward to try to get a better look at his face. “Is this… okay? I know there’s a lot going on and this is kind of sudden…”

      “No, it’s not okay.” His words made her stiffen and Saeyoung squeezed her hand. “No, no. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m happy, really, I am. I’m just trying to figure out how I can give you a proper wedding with everything that’s going on.”

      “Was that a proposal?” Laughter erupted from her and she was in tears by the time she regained control of herself. Luckily Saeyoung realised she was not laughing at him so much as she was laughing at the situation.

      “I guess it was.” He cupped her face in his hands and brushed her tears away before pressing a light kiss on her lips. “We won’t be able to swing the space station, but maybe we can honeymoon there.”

      “I’d like that.” Morrigan smiled and laid her hands over his. “Now… about that physical therapy. You gonna keep whining about it now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep an eye out for the sequel!  
> Because it's high time for V and Saeran to have happy endings, don't you agree?


End file.
